Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Somalia

UNICEF Somalia Humanitarian Situation Report #9: 1 to 30 September 2018

Attachments

Highlights

• The global acute malnutrition (GAM) prevalence between August and October 2018 is projected to be above 10 percent in all regions of Somalia except for a few districts in the north west. Between January and September 2018, UNICEF and partners have reached 162,750 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with lifesaving therapeutic nutrition treatment; representing 94 percent of its annual target.

• During 2018, 12 polio cVDPV cases, including five cVDPV2 cases, six cVDPV3 cases and one case with cVDPV2 and cVDPV3 co-infection have been reported in central and southern regions. The next polio vaccination response against the type 3 virus is planned to start on 29 October 2018.

• UNICEF has delivered 15 consecutive months of predictable cash assistance to IDP areas in Bay and Bakool reaching 18,979 households, with over US$ 9 million transferred directly to recipients. As part of its investments in emergency safety nets and social protection, UNICEF will transition to nutrition status-based targeting, where households with children enrolled in SAM therapeutic treatment programs will receive monthly cash assistance to complement treatment outcomes.

• In September, 6,690 children were enrolled in education services, leading to UNICEF and partners achieving the enrolment of 78,044 children (42 per cent girls) across Somalia in 2018.

Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs

Despite improvements in food security, major humanitarian needs in Somalia persist, particularly among IDP populations, due to residual impacts of drought, ongoing displacement, conflict and marginalization. As per the FSNAU-FEWSNET 2018 Post Gu findings1 , 4.6 million people are still in need of urgent assistance, including an estimated 2.5 million children. Malnutrition rates across Somalia remain among the worst in the world. In total, more than 954,000 children under-5 are projected to be acutely malnourished in the coming year, including, 173,000 expected to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition. 2 The displaced population in Banadir region remains in critical conditions with malnutrition, diseases and death rates all remaining at emergency levels as reported by the FSNAU Post Gu findings; large scale displacement continues, particularly in Lower Shabelle. Over 4.4 million people need humanitarian WASH services, with 3.5 out of 5 people without adequate safe water to meet basic needs. More than 5.7 million people require basic health services, including critical needs in maternal and child health, as one in eight Somali children die before the age of five. Disease outbreaks such as AWD/cholera and measles continue to represent a major threat to children with 7,699 suspected measles cases (73 per cent being children under-5) and 6,109 suspected cases of AWD/cholera with 41 deaths reported in 2018. Over 3 million children, out of 4.9 million in the country, are estimated to be out of school. More than 2.6 million people have been displaced, including over 1 million in the last year alone3 and displacement flows continue at critical levels. Exclusion and discrimination of socially marginalised groups continue to exacerbate high levels of acute humanitarian needs. More than 76 per cent of recorded gender-based violence (GBV) survivors are reported to be from IDP communities4 . Mass recruitment of children remains a major protection concern. According to the Country Taskforce on monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children, a total of 693 children (682 boys, 11 girls) were recruited between August and September 2018, with September accounting for half of the recruitment caseload. Currently, 1,052 children formerly associated with armed forces and groups (851 boys, 201 girls), including additional 9 boys in September are under the care of UNICEF-supported reintegration programs.Fighting between Somaliland and Puntland Forces has paused over the past months, but the situation remains volatile due to the lack a political settlement.