Twelve people have died and hundreds have been afflicted by new instances of measles in Somalia; hundreds more have been impacted in Oromia and the SNNP areas, according to the United Nations.

– The U.N. said measles cases continue to be reported since December 2021 in Doloado and Bokolmayo woredas of Liban Zone, in Somali Region, “with about 700 new cases and 12 deaths recorded as of 3 March.”

The news comes at a time when Somali region is already struggling with severe drought that left “more than three million people significantly impacted by the drought, including about 2.4 million people in need of immediate water support, according to the U.N. “Serious shortage of pasture and limited water availability for livestock continue to cause animal deaths, with more than 900,000 livestock (the main livelihood of thousands of people) reportedly perished in drought affected areas in the region to date.”

While the number of cases recorded has decreased since