This image showing starving children was published on the Somali TV Facebook page on October 6, 2022 amid a deadly drought crisis reported across the Horn of Africa.
Background
Piga Firimbi previously debunked the use of unrelated images alleged to be connected to the recent drought in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. Unrelated images alleged to show the 2022 drought in Kenya’s Turkana County were debunked here and here. At the same time, fake donation appeals alleged to be from the Kenya Red Cross organization emerged as debunked in fact-checks here and here. Nonetheless, the ongoing flood crisis in West and Central Africa also bred misinformation. An image of a flooded Kenyan classroom was alleged to be from Nigeria’s Cross River State and debunked here, as well as an image of a muddy road in Nigeria alleged to be from Ghana fact-checked here.
Verification
A reverse image search of the photo shared on the Somali TV page on October 6, 2022 brings up results of the image earlier published as far back as 2017.
#الجفاف_ مطلوب تحرك عاجل لمنع وقوع كارثة مجاعة جديدة في #الصومال.
أغيثوهم pic.twitter.com/kbnjew39vl— Mohamud Burei (@MohamudBurei) February 28, 2017
Google Translate shows that the tweet says: “#Drought_ Urgent action is required to prevent a new famine catastrophe in #Somalia. Help them”.
Verdict
The recent use of the image of starving children by Somali TV Facebook page is MISLEADING.
This fact-check was produced by Africa Uncensored with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck, International Fact-Checking Network, and African Fact-Checking Alliance network.
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