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At least 7 million people have been affected by the severe drought as of July 2022*; an estimated 1 million people have been displaced from their homes due to drought, of whom 66% are children. A historic fifth poor rainy season is forecasted, which will keep needs high well into 2023, and worsen food insecurity as well as water scarcity. More than 90 per cent of Somalia is already experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions.
Prior to the drought, an estimated 30 per cent of Somalis needed humanitarian assistance and protection. More areas are at risk of famine, particularly in the south of the country in regions where insecurity and conflict make humanitarian access more challenging. The drought is rapidly evolving into a protection crisis for the vulnerable, threatening basic survival of families and pushing them to relocate in search for food. Evidence shows drought is increasing children's vulnerability to protection risks, particularly girls and children with disabilities. Protection humanitarian actors worry that those already vulnerable - such as children including adolescents, older persons, persons with disabilities, persons with minority clan affiliations, female heads of households are likely to be further excluded from any assistance due to their inability to move to other locations.
An estimated 2.3 million girls and boys are at imminent risk of violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, and death from severe acute malnutrition as result of food and nutrition crisis across Somalia. There is urgent need to ensure children's specific needs are taken into account with both stand-alone actions and enhanced mainstreaming and integration efforts. Overall, Child Protection is significantly underfunded, with an average funding gap of 70%. US$13.8 million is needed urgently to address the growing child protection needs. However, Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) partners have only been able to collectively mobilize 27% of this requirement leaving a funding gap of 73% ($9.8 million) for adequate response.
There is an urgent need to ensure children's specific needs are addressed. CP AOR has prioritized protection of 332,200 girls and boys across 37 districts (categorized as priority one and two most affected districts) through stand-alone actions and enhanced mainstreaming and integration efforts to respond to the drought and prevent famine related CP risks. Protection continues to be deprioritized as a lifesaving intervention within the country?s existing funding modalities.