Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal Iran Red Crescent Med J 2011; 13(9):608-609 ©Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal EDITORIAL Somalia Famine, another Predictable Disaster in the New Millennium

Somalia has been one of the most politically unstable countries in the past two decades. Having no central government since 19 years ago, the country has lost most of its infrastructures during the domestic wars. This year, the problem of drought and famine has worsened the condition even further. It is estimated that half of the population in Somalia are now suf-fering from food insecurity, near 10 % of these are children.1,2 There are at least 200,000 severely mal-nourished children in the need of immediate care.1,2 A recent survey indicates a prevalence of global acute malnutrition of more than 20 % in the most regions of Somalia.3 Even the progresses that were reached for control of infectious diseases like measles through novel strategies by local authorities with the suppor