Post date: Jul 27, 2011 4:29:40 PM
Family loses child just a few kilometres from Dadaab refugee camp as they flee famine and war in Somalia.
DADAAB REFUGEE CAMP, KENYA. CITIZEN TV - Khadija Ali has lost her only child after fleeing more than a hundred kilometres to find food and shelter in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.
Two-year-old Madina starved to death despite being taken to hospital when the Somali family arrived at the camp. The family buried her near the camp.
According to aid agencies one in ten children in drought-hit Somalia are at risk of starving to death.
Malnutrition rates are believed to be significantly higher in conflict-torn parts of central and southern Somalia, where few aid groups have been able to operate.
The United Nations has declared a famine in two regions of Somalia and said it may spread further.
Years of conflict in southern Somalia have exacerbated the emergency, preventing aid agencies from helping communities. Nearly 135,000 Somalis have fled since January, mainly to neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia.
The World Food Programme says it needs an extra $360 million in urgent funds. Oxfam says that overall another $1 billion is needed to handle the situation.