UAE clinic treats 750 Somalis

More than 700 famine victims in Somalia have sought treatment at the UAE mobile clinic.

UAE Mobile Clinic gives treatment to 750 patients in Hamr Jub Jub camp for displaced Somalis in Mogadishu. WAM *** Local Caption *** 6865af7e-bac2-4e75-a657-07630e124de5.jpg

About 750 patients in Somalia have been treated by a UAE mobile clinic. The mobile clinic is part of efforts to help 20,000 families facing starvation during the worst drought in 60 years.

The services were provided at the Hamar Jam Jam camp for displaced Somalis in its second day in the country's capital, Mogadishu, according to a statement by Wam, the state news agency.

Patients were facing health problems resulting from malnutrition and the spread of diseases, Wam said.

The clinic tends to physical and mental conditions, as well as gynaecology and internal medicine.

Dr Fatima Hassan, a gynaecologist and a member of the medical team, said most of the female patients at the clinic were suffering from severe anaemia, bladder diseases, urinary tract infections and respiratory diseases. Most of the children suffered from malnutrition, fever and diarrhea.

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Estimates suggest the drought in Somalia has killed more than 29,000 young children in the past 90 days, while the United Nations has said 640,000 Somali children are acutely malnourished, which suggests the death toll of small children will rise.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently cautioned the famine was expected to worsen in the next two months. The crisis, which has already affected two regions of Somalia, could spread by September if other countries did not respond quickly. The UAE sent two humanitarian aid teams last week after directives by Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE, to provide emergency relief to the region.