The current humanitarian situation in Somalia is the worst it has been in the last ten years. The overall number of people in crisis in Somalia is now 2.85 million, which means one in three Somalis is aff ected. In the fi rst half of 2011, the number of people in crisis and urgent need of humanitarian assistance increased by almost 850,000 people.

At least one in three Somali children are malnourished in parts of southern Somalia. Over 460 Somali children died in nutrition centres throughout Somalia between January and May this year. Malnutrition rates amongst new arrivals in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya are alarming, ranging from 30-40 per cent. Three in fi ve children arriving in refugee camps in Ethiopia from southern Somalia are malnourished. In refugee camps in Kenya, more deaths were recorded among Somali children in the therapeutic feeding centres in the fi rst quarter of 2011 than in all of last year.

Because of lack of food in southern regions of Somalia, thousands are being forced to fl ee to neighboring countries of Kenya and Ethiopia to access assistance. UNHCR is reporting an average of 10,000 new Somali refugees arriving in Kenya’s Dadaab camps per month (at least 1,300 per day since 19 June) and 5,000-6,000 arriving at Doolow Ado camp in Ethiopia. As of 26 June, a total of 60,200 Somalis were registered in Kenya this year – a more than 100 per cent increase as compared to the same time in 2010. Internal displacement, due to confl ict and drought, amounts to over 36,000 in the month of May and June alone.

The current humanitarian response is inadequate due to lack of funding and restrictive access to areas of need. The funding available to date for humanitarian operations is less than half of the amount needed. The Somalia Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) has been revised upwards and, due to the deepening crisis, funding needs for the second half of the year are now amounting to $561.