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Somalia

SOYDA Quarterly Progressive Narrative Report, Jan-March 2024

Attachments

1. Background and Humanitarian needs

Somalia is yet to fully recover from the El Nino-induced floods that devastated the country, displaced at least 1.2 million people and left more than 2.4 million people in dire need of humanitarian aid and assistance, according to the Somalia Disaster Management Authority. Persistent cycles of conflict and disease and climatic shocks such as droughts and floods have resulted in 4.3 million children urgently needing rapid emergency support in 2024. The upcoming Gu season is expected to flood riverine areas in Lower Shabelle, even as families displaced by the El-Nino floods in several districts continue to return home.

Somalia experienced the worst drought in decades in 2023, followed by the most extensive floods in generations, all within the span of just a few months. Despite some improvements, levels of humanitarian needs are still severe and extreme. Almost one in five Somalis face high levels of acute food insecurity. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis published on 15 February, at least 4 million people (21 per cent of the population) are estimated to be in IPC Phase 3 or worse (Crisis or Emergency) until March 2024.

High levels of acute malnutrition persist in many areas, with an estimated 1.7 million children aged 6 to 59 months facing acute malnutrition between January and December 2024, of whom 430,000 are likely to be severely malnourished. Access to healthcare is limited and functional health facilities are inadequate, which heightens the risk of maternal and infant mortality, increases rates of preventable diseases like cholera.

Children, their families and communities in Somalia are feeling the impact of an El Nino phenomenon that has affected over 1.7 million people, upward from 1.17 million in just one week, also doubling the number of displaced people to 649,000. The shock is largely borne by children in South West State where 454,320 people are impacted, followed by Gedo region in Jubaland State (291,765 people) and Mudug region in Galmudug State (213,356 people). There have been at least 40 fatalities, 40 per cent of them children, while more than 125,000 people have relocated to higher ground, adding to the current displacement caused by conflict and most recently drought. Children account for 54% of all acute watery diarrhea (AWD) cases where under-fives contribute to half of new cases. With clusters of confirmed cholera cases during floods, there is concern of a surge in infections particularly among children.

However, SOYDA have been providing integrated package of nutrition, Food Security, Education, Civic Education, Youth empowerment, WASH, protection, and health intervention in Benadir, Southwest and Jubbaland State of Somalia.

SOYDA shall however, continue its program implementation to enable reduce the vulnerability as well as provide improved lifesaving Health, Nutrition, WASH, Food Security, Protection and Education services