Riaan 
Cishe abantu abayi-130,000 e-Greater Horn of Africa “babheke ukufa emehlweni” ngenxa yendlala ebhubhisayo, iWorld Health Organization (WHO) ixwayise ngoLwesihlanu.
Abantu ababalelwa ezigidini ezingama-48 e-Greater Horn – i-Djibouti, i-Ethiopia, iKenya, iSomalia, iSouth Sudan, iSudan kanye ne-Uganda – babhekene nezimo ezinzima zokungavikeleki kokudla, kusho i-WHO.
Lokho kusho ukuthi imindeni yeqa ukudla bese iqeda ukonga nempahla ukuze idle.
Kulabo, abayizigidi eziyisithupha babhekene namazinga aphuthumayo okuntuleka kokudla, futhi i-129,000 isezingeni elibi kakhulu – inhlekelele.
“Babhekene nendlala futhi babheke ukufa emehlweni,” kusho uLiesbeth Aelbrecht, umphathi we-WHO enkingeni yezempilo e-Greater Horn of Africa.
Kwabangu-129,000, 96,000 baseSomalia kanti abangu-33,000 baseSouth Sudan, etshela izintatheli eGeneva nge-videolink evela eNairobi.
“Izingxenye eziningi zesifunda zibhekene nesomiso esibi kakhulu eminyakeni engu-40 kanti ezinye zihlaselwe yizikhukhula, okuholele ekwandeni kwendlala,” kusho yena.
“Sibona ukwanda kokuqubuka kwezifo kanye nenani eliphezulu lezingane ezingondlekile eminyakeni edlule,” kusho yena.
Babalelwa ezigidini ezingu-11.9 izingane ezineminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu okungenzeka zibhekane nokungondleki kahle kulo nyaka.
Lesi sifunda sibhekene nesimungumungwane, ikholera, umalaleveva, udenga, i-hepatitis E kanye nokuqubuka kwe-meningitis.
“Izibalo zokuqubuka kwezifo okubikiwe e-Greater Horn of Africa sezifinyelele izinga eliphezulu kunawo wonke kuleli khulu leminyaka, nezinhlelo zezempilo emazweni amaningi ayisikhombisa okunzima ukubhekana nazo,” kusho u-Aelbrecht.
Uthe ukuvama kwalesi sifo kungaxhunyaniswa ngqo nesimo sezulu esibi kakhulu.
Lesi sifunda singesinye sezindawo ezisengozini enkulu yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, njengoba kunezinkinga ezivame ukwanda futhi zishubile.
Izinkathi ezinhlanu zemvula ezibhuntshile zilandelana ziye zabangela ukufa kwezigidi zemfuyo, ukucekelwa phansi kwezilimo, futhi kwaphoqelela izigidi zabantu ukuba zishiye amakhaya azo ziyofuna amanzi nokudla kwenye indawo.
“Njengoba ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu sekuyinto engokoqobo manje, kufanele silungiselele izimo eziphuthumayo ukuthi zenzeke ngokukhula kwemvamisa,” kusho u-Aelbrecht.
“Okwamanje, izinsiza ziyadingeka ukuze kugwenywe ukugula nokufa okusabalele,” kusho i-WHO icela izigidi ezingama- $ 178 ngo-2023.
