Deaths from Starvation are Mounting in Somalia

A reminder that famine looms in Somalia. “At least 26 people died from hunger in the semi-autonomous Jubbaland region of southern Somalia in just a day and a half, federal government radio said on its website. Somalia, like other countries in the region, is facing a devastating drought that has killed livestock, cut harvests and left 6.2 million people, about half its population, in need of food aid. The acute hunger gripping Jubbaland caused an exodus of hundreds of families into the capital Mogadishu seeking help. The website quoted Mohamed Hussein, the Jubbaland assistant minister of interior, as saying severe drought had killed the people over a span of 36 hours to Monday, all in various towns in middle Jubba and Gedo areas. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2nNIsYZ)

A Peacekeeping Success Story…”An unofficial vote count shows a former guerrilla leader has won East Timor’s presidency in the first election without U.N. supervision since peacekeepers left in 2012.

The tally announced Tuesday by the country’s election office indicated that Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres had a commanding lead over the Democratic Party’s Antonio da Conceicao, who is minister of education and social affairs. Official results are not expected until next week, but with more than 70 percent of the ballots tallied, Lu-Olo, a 62-year-old former guerrilla commander representing Fretilin, the traditional party of resistance to Indonesian rule, had 60 percent of the votes. Da Conceicao had 30 percent and said he would accept the outcome. The remaining votes were divided among six other candidates. (VOA http://bit.ly/2mLmJzg)

Will the Trump Administration Abandon the Human Rights Council? (UN Dispatch http://bit.ly/2nPf8Bo