Latest updates on humanitarian situation in Somalia

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  • Over 14,000 children were admitted for treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in UNICEF supported facilities.
  • Health consultations for 27,816 internally displaced people (IDPs) and people in hard-to-reach areas were completed in August, amongst them 14,449 children under-5 and 6,840 women.
  • To support resilience of communities and provide sustainable water sources, UNICEF supported the establishment of two water systems and rehabilitation of 15 boreholes reaching 39,740 people in Somaliland and Puntland.
  • In child protection programmes, 7,427 children (3,729 girls) and 8,658 caregivers (4336 women) were reached with prevention messages in the areas of mine risk education, child abuse and family separation.
  • UNICEF’s support in providing safe drinking water in schools in Middle Shabelle, Hiraan, Banadir (Central South Somalia) Sahil and Togdheer (Somaliland) benefited 10,067 (4,432 girls) children.

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

The dry conditions as a result of the below average 2018 Deyr season continued in 2019 with the Gu rains starting late and being highly erratic in most of the country. The 2019 Gu season was the second consecutive below-average rainy season, in a country still recovering from a prolonged drought in 2016-17 and resulting in the overall humanitarian situation worsening.2 Displacements due to the delayed rains and the impact of conflict are reported to be increasing throughout the country and exclusion and discrimination of women and girls, as well as socially marginalized groups, continue to exacerbate elevated levels of acute humanitarian needs. Rains materialized in most parts of the country in May and June, but the impact of the delay will likely continue through the year and a sufficient harvest season is highly unlikely. Results produced by FSNAU in August reported that the Gu harvest is expected to be 68 per cent below average,3 with FSNAU reporting that up to one million children at risk of acute malnutrition and 178,000 children at risk of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) between July 2019 and June 2020.

The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) was launched in January 2019 and seeks US$ 1.08 billion to provide life-saving assistance and livelihood support to 3.4 million Somalis affected by conflict, climatic shocks and displacement across the country,4 with a focus on the most vulnerable. As of August 2019, the HRP was 46 per cent funded with US$ 494 million received. For 2019, UNICEF is appealing for US$ 145.3 million to sustain the provision of life-saving services including critical nutrition, health, WASH, child protection and education in emergency interventions, as well as cash-based assistance for women and children in Somalia.

In July, the Humanitarian Community and the Somali Federal Government launched the Somalia 2019 Drought Impact Response Plan (DIRP).5 The DIRP is a focused appeal as part of the overall HRP and appeals for US$ 686 million to aid communities impacted by the delayed Gu rains throughout the country from June to December 2019. The plan targets 4.5 million people affected by the delayed rains. The plan is multi-sectoral, including critical nutrition, health and WASH interventions, and highlights the full scope of needs for children. The impact of the delayed rains is expected to increase vulnerabilities and displacement for those most in need and translate into heightened child protection risks and loss of opportunities for learning for children.