Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Somali Cash Consortium (SCC) was formed in late 2017 in response to the continued threat of famine. It seeks to provide vulnerable populations in the worst-affected districts in Somalia with monthly unconditional multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA). The consortium comprises Concern Worldwide as the leading partner, along with ACTED, COOPI, DRC, NRC, SCI, and IMPACT Initiatives, serving as the independent monitoring and evaluation partner.
In June 2024, the SCC activated a response in Deynile district of Banadir region of Somalia to support households with children under 5 years suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). The activation primarily focused on households with children receiving treatment for SAM with complications at stabilization centers, following the "onrolling basis" modality. Over a period of three months, the targeted beneficiary households received three rounds of MPCA (each round worth 180 USD). The cash transfer amounts were set in line with the harmonized super-region transfer values recommended by ECHO based on each region's Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB). However, the response was later expanded to include households with children diagnosed with SAM without complications, bringing the total number of beneficiary households—both with and without complications—to 700 households.
ECHO, through SCC, therefore commissioned a study led by IMPACT to assess the short-term impact of cash assistance on households with children under 5 declared to have SAM with and without complications. This study integrated other relevant nutrition-related data points, such as food security, coping mechanisms, sociodemographic and economic characteristics, and accountability, using information gathered through Baseline and endline surveys of cash transfers from both groups. In addition, the study will provide insights for programming purposes under the direct nutrition referral implementing modalities to build more accessible and responsive systems to the needs of beneficiaries.
At the time of data collection, an estimated 1.6 million children aged 6 to 59 months were projected to experience acute malnutrition and urgently required treatment between August 2024 and July 2025 in the whole of Somalia.4 This included around 403,000 cases of SAM and 1.2 million cases of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM). Significantly, 66% of the total burden was concentrated in southern Somalia. Banadir was among thirteen regions classified as Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), indicating a critical level of acute malnutrition, with approximately 70,960 children identified as having SAM in the region. In Banadir, the burden of acute malnutrition among internally displaced persons (IDPs) was significant, contributing to 27% (approximately 446,950 individuals) of the national estimate. The overall prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) based on weight-for-height z-scores (WHZ) was reported at 14.7%, indicating a serious nutrition situation in Somalia. However, the situation in Mogadishu (Banadir) remained concerning, with a GAM prevalence of 16.8%, highlighting the continued vulnerability of the population.
Intended impact
This research was intended to assess the short-term impact of cash assistance on households with children under the age of 5 suffering from SAM, comparing those with complications to those without, against a Baseline and identifying improvements after the three cycles of cash assistance. Additionally, the study aimed at analyzing the effects of cash transfers on household food security and coping mechanisms across both groups. This will contribute to a deeper understanding of the advantages, key challenges, and lessons learned from the direct nutrition-based approach.