Attachments
KEY MESSAGES
- Insecurity and conflict may have worsened existing accessibility challenges in hard-to-reach districts. Danger and insecurity in the year prior to data collection were reported in over half of the assessed districts (59%), while drought/lack of rain (48%) and flooding (35%) were also reported during the same period. Findings further suggest that danger and insecurity were key barriers to humanitarian access, with insecurity or danger travelling to and from aid (46%) and insecurity and danger after receiving aid (34%) as the most commonly reported barriers to accessing humanitarian assistance.
- Occasional use of surface water for drinking (72%), inadequate shelter types and long distance to healthcare facilities (45%) in the assessed settlements may exacerbate the vulnerability of hard-to-reach settlements to disease outbreaks, particularly cholera.
- Conflicts and insecurity may be driving the protection risks in hard-to-reach districts. Protection risks were reported in many assessed settlements (65%).
CONTEXT & RATIONALE
The crisis in Somalia has worsened due to previous drought, recent insecurity, and heavy Gu rains. This has led to widespread displacement, further exacerbated by heightened insecurity, limiting access to essential services and aid for affected communities. Despite concerted efforts, humanitarian access remains constrained due to security challenges, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated interventions to address the multifaceted challenges facing Somalia’s vulnerable populations particularly residing in hard-to-reach districts.
ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW
This brief presents the key findings from 980 Key Informant Interviews in 299 assessed settlements across 15 hard-to-reach districts. For the July 2024 round, hard-to-reach districts were defined as districts which were not accessible for face-to-face data collection for the Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) in June - July 2024. The interviews focused on gathering information about the humanitarian conditions and needs of the population residing in H2R areas, as well as assessing the respondents’ knowledge of the situation. The recall period referred to throughout the brief is “at the time of data collection” unless otherwise stated. It is important to note that these findings provide an indication of the situation and should not be generalized. For more detailed information, please refer to page 8.