As Somalia’s starvation worsens, newborns begin to perish

Two mounds of earth heaped over the little bodies of Halima Hassan Abdullahi’s twin grandchildren are encircled by hacked-off thorn branches. Ebla and Abdia were only alive for a day.

Hunger-stricken, their mother gave birth to the twins a month early, eight weeks after their depleted family entered a displaced families camp in Dollow, Somalia. “She’s malnourished, and her two babies died of starvation,” Abdullahi said at the Kaxareey camp, which opened in January and now shelters 13,000 people.

They are one of almost 6 million Somalis that require assistance to survive.