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Geneva, November 28, 2009 — A senior WHO official
warned Friday that the health sector in Somalia was not receiving the
funding needed, even though almost one in four Somali children under
five is suffering from acute malnutrition.
"The health sector is completely underfunded," said Eric Laroche, who is
WHO assistant director general of the cluster on health action in
crises.
"This year is probably of all the 18 last years of humanitarian crises
the worst year and for the time being in health, it's the worst funded
for all the activities. This is not normal at all," he added.
Somalia has one of the worst child and maternal health in the world,
with a under five mortality rate of 142 per 1,000 children, according to
WHO data.
Maternal mortality is also "extremely high," said the WHO, as 1,400
mothers die in every 100,000 births.
Some 39 million dollars is required to fund the health sector in
Somalia, but almost a month before the end of the year, only 37 percent
of the sum has been received, said Laroche.
In 2008, 55 million dollars in funding was sought, and 44 percent
covered.
The humanitarian situation in Somalia has deteriorated sharply in 2009
amid fighting in Mogadishu and other parts of south-central Somali.
Some 3.64 million people across the country are in need of aid relief,
and 1.55 million have been displaced, according to the WHO.
Source: WHO, Nov 27, 2009
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