Deaths continue to be reported in Gedo prefectures of southern Somalia. Authorities in the troubled region have reported the deaths mainly of children and elderly related to hunger.
Al-Shabaab blockades have worsened the dire situation, making impossible for the humanitarian groups to reach to the locals. Most of supply routes remains closed causing a humanitarian crisis.
In the coming days and weeks, death toll expected to rise citing drought ravage and doubled by Al-Shabaab blockades, besides political chaos.
The Gedo situation remains fragile and fluid. Al-Shabaab continue to exploit the current standoff between Jubaland Security Forces (JSF) and the Somali National Army (SNA) to further expand its control and their territories in the area which had most of localities and towns liberated from the group following operations by the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF].
Kenya has been accused by Somalia of meddling in internal politics affecting the southern regions of Juba and Gedo. Allegations Nairobi has distanced itself. Kenya has been at the front of liberating localities and towns in Juba and Gedo regions.
While Kenyan troops continue serving in Sector II whose main headquarters are at Dhobley, they have continued to battle the Islamists, Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab in the two regions citing their proximities with Kenya frontier counties (Mandera, Wajir and Garissa).
Al-Shabaab activities continue to terrorize the already suffering citizenry in Gedo which falls under Jubaland state. Besides the Al-Shabaab re-engineered crisis, Gedo prefectures is battling with acute food shortages caused by the ravaging desert locusts and poor rains in the region. Authorities in Gedo warn and forecast that the situation could be dire in the coming days and weeks if it’s not contained.
