Somalia’s Ministry of Health and Human Services on Sunday, 7 December, confirmed that a new diphtheria outbreak has claimed the lives of 50 children and infected roughly 1,000 others across the country. Children aged 5 to 15 are the most affected, according to the ministry’s statement.
In response to what it described as a “dangerous situation,” authorities have initiated an urgent vaccination campaign. The nationwide exercise will begin on 15 December and run for five days, targeting all children in villages, schools, and health facilities. Parents have been urged to present their children for vaccination to curb what officials have labelled a “killer disease.”
The outbreak emerges against the backdrop of a worsening humanitarian landscape in Somalia, marked by ongoing conflict and climate-induced shocks, including recurrent floods and droughts.