Mogadishu, Somalia — The federal government of Somalia has declared a state of emergency as a result of the country’s severe drought. The drought has exacerbated an extraordinary water crisis, resulting in a lack of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and disease outbreaks.
Fadumo Muse, a mother of seven, was forced to flee her house in Somalia’s Middle Juba region due to drought, and sought refuge at a camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu.
The camp has not provided her with the refuge she had hoped for. Some of her children became ill a few days after the family arrived.
She stated her family is dealing with the same issue they had before they moved: acute water shortages. Her children are now suffering from diarrhea and have been denied any medication or assistance.
Muse is one of hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have abandoned their homes as a result of the extended drought that has ravaged the country’s central and southern regions.