Layla (above), only 24 years old, a mother of five and pregnant with a sixth, fled to Garowe all the way from Mogadishu (almost 1,000 kilometres south from here) just three months ago. Her youngest child, 18-month-old Zam Zam, arrived severely malnourished. Local World Vision staff met her here amidst thousands of displaced people a few weeks ago and have helped Layla begin Zam Zam’s recovery to health, providing sachets of nutritious Plumpy’nut, which we use worldwide to combat acute child malnutrition.

Beautiful , bright eyed little Zam Zam has gained weight and Layla told me that after she gives Zam Zam the Plumpy’nut each morning and evening, “she has more energy”, but that “she’s still too weak to stand up”.

£45 will provide enough Plumpy'net for a full 8-week course - just like the one Zam Zam had. Donate now here.

Like other places I’ve visited over the last week, drought is nothing new here. It’s been here all too often in recent years and what’s most needed is long term solutions, especially water.

World Vision’s programme in Puntland over the next few years has water at its heart – not just the provision of boreholes but innovative ways of helping the pastoralist communities preserve the water they do get from the occasional rains.

You can read the full blog from Justin’s visit to East Africa here.