2022 Somalia Drought Claims 43,000 Lives: Report

A report commissioned by UNICEF and the World Health Organization estimates that about 43,000 people in Somalia may have died in 2022 due to the prolonged drought, potentially half of them younger than 5. The country has endured five consecutive failed rainy seasons, and more than 6.5 million face acute food insecurity. The staggering estimated 43,000 excess deaths over the year is higher than the toll caused by the 2017-18 drought crisis. The crisis has not been declared a famine by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, but humanitarian officials have raised alarm bells.