Somalia was created in 1960 from the merger of two former British and Italian colonies. It is currently a 'failed state', without an effective government since President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991. Years of fighting between rival warlords, along with with famine and disease, have caused the deaths of up to one million people.
The situation for children in Somalia is desperate, following the worst violence in 17 years, the failure of rains, the economic crisis and decreased humanitarian access. More than 3 million people in Somalia are in need of humanitarian assistance, including over half a million children under the age of five. The combination of violence, population displacement, drought and extreme poverty, coupled with very low basic services, has greatly increased children’s vulnerability to abuse, disease and malnutrition.
