20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
‘There is not enough food. The situation is dire’: Somalia’s drought crisis in one picture

Hundreds of thousands have left their homes in search of food and water, carrying sick and starving children to camps already overcrowded by those escaping the country’s protracted violence. ‘Before the drought, the rains were sometimes late,’ says Haleema Abdullahi Abdi (centre). ‘But we never had three consecutive seasons without any rain. Because of that, we have lost all of our livestock. We came here to survive. We used to be a happy, dignified family. We had enough money to not only support our own family but also other families. It saddens me that now, I’m begging from other people.’ Abdullahi Abdi arrived at the Luglow three days earlier. ‘There is not enough food. The situation is dire. But only getting water is already better than dying on the countryside.’

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Luglow, Somalia
Camera: X-Pro2
Copyright: © Joost Bastmeijer