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Somalia

UNICEF Somalia Humanitarian Situation Report No. 1, 01 - 31 January 2024

Attachments

Highlights

• According to the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia has decreased to 6.9 million in 2024 from 8.25 million in 2023, However, humanitarian needs remain high due to persistent underlying drivers and recurrent shocks, including climatic events, conflict and insecurity, widespread poverty and disease outbreaks.

• 43,095 children with severe wasting (24,808 girls and 18,287 boys) received treatment, of whom 2,759 (6.4 per cent) were managed in stabilization centers due to medical complications.

• 287,000 people in Afgooye, Baydhaba, Belet Weyne, Jowhar, Kismaayo, Waajid, and Xudur districts were reached with life-saving emergency water services, including water source chlorination and water trucking.

• 68,676 children affected by emergencies (31,775 girls) are accessing temporary learning spaces across 12 disaster affected districts in Somalia.

• A total of 22,246 children and caregivers (6,028 girls, 5,219 boys, 8,504 women, 2,495 men) benefitted from mental health and psychosocial activities delivered through mobile teams and at child-friendly spaces and other service points.

Situation Overview & 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. Despite the funding drawbacks in 2024, UNICEF is determined to reach at least 1.3 million children, 15 per cent of whom are living with disability, and one million women with adaptive, inclusive, gender- and child-sensitive humanitarian interventions. In January alone, approximately 1,800 new cases of acute watery diarrhea (AWD)/cholera were reported in the riverine districts of Beletweyne, Buloburte, Jalalaqsi, and Jowhar with a severity of 58 per cent, particularly in children under five who make up at least 65 per cent of cases.

Comparatively, this is a 96 per cent increase in the caseload from the same period last year where more than 10,000 children were reported to suffer from AWD/cholera, accounting for more than 55 per cent of total caseload. In 2024, the convergence of AWD and malnutrition, particularly in children aged five and below, and poor access to sustainable clean drinking water and sanitation is heightening the risk of severe health outcomes and mortality. The case fatality rate (CFR) in Bulo Burte has skyrocketed to an all-time high of eight per cent, highlighting the significance of immediate action to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and services.

Furthermore, 68 per cent of the more than 1,200 cases of measles recorded in January in Banadir, Gedo and Lower Shabelle regions were among under-five children. UNICEF, in collaboration with communities and other partners, reached 211,000 internally displaced people with WASH services that included hygiene kits, water source chlorination and rehabilitation, and hygiene promotion. Multi-sectoral integrated interventions are currently underway in 10 mapped and prioritized districts by building cholera treatment centers/units (CTC/U), provision of treatment for moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and engaging community health workers for localized community-based monitoring and response. In addition, UNICEF is ramping up resources for oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) aiming to reach more than 482,000 people in four districts. On the polio front, the first round of oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaigns commenced in January aiming to reach children under five years in accessible districts cross-country apart from Jubaland.

The nutrition situation has remained of concern in several livelihood zones of Somalia, especially in areas affected by the El-Nino-induced Deyr floods of 2023. The national median prevalence of wasting (GAM) remained ‘serious’ (as per IPC classification) at 12.9 per cent in the 2023 Deyr season compared to 12.4 per cent in the 2023 Gu season (FSNAU, 2024). SAM prevalence is estimated at 2.6 per cent, an increase from 1.5 per cent in the 2023 Gu season. Deteriorations in several areas are attributed to the impact of the EL Nino induced flash floods that contributed to increased morbidity arising from diarrhea, cholera, and measles outbreaks.

Besides increased morbidity, the flow of remittances has remained low, and prices of food have increased, forcing more children and women to consume unhealthy foods. Albeit the staggering figures, according to the Somalia Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), the situation in the first quarter of 2024 marks a significant variation from the same period last year as there has been a 20 per cent reduction in the population classified in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) 3 or worse. Nonetheless, during this period, four million Somalis (21 per cent of the population) will require emergency food and nutrition assistance.

At least 1.7 million under-five children are projected to be malnourished in 2024, 430,000 with severe wasted. Almost all malnutrition cases are found in the central south regions of Somalia, categorizing the region as critical (FSNAU, 2024). As a countermeasure, UNICEF has screened 17,000 children in central south regions for severe acute malnutrition. 3 Access constraints UNICEF implementing partners face in delivering assistance to vulnerable communities primarily arise from the presence of armed groups, who impose restrictions or entirely block entry to specific regions or communities. Such limitations result in delays or even prevent delivery of life-saving assistance. The ongoing conflict and instability in Somalia pose significant danger not only to partners but also impedes their ability to reach populations requiring assistance.

Furthermore, the presence of armed groups, militias, and criminal networks throughout the country exacerbates the difficulties faced in accessing and delivering aid safely. Moreover, climate shocks and limited infrastructure further compound the situation. Years of conflict and neglect have caused extensive damage to roads and bridges, creating significant challenges in transporting and distributing humanitarian aid efficiently. These infrastructural limitations particularly affect remote and inaccessible areas, making it even more arduous to help those in need. Despite these formidable challenges, UNICEF remains unwavering in its commitment to reach children in need throughout Somalia. We continue to make substantial progress in delivering assistance to vulnerable children and communities, working tirelessly to overcome access constraints and provide essential support.