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Somalia

WFP Somalia Country Brief, August 2018

Attachments

In Numbers

8,160 mt of food assistance distributed

US$10.9 m cash based transfers made

US$141 m six months (September- February 2019) net funding requirements

1.93 m people assisted in August 2018

Operational Updates

• Results from the 2018 post-Gu assessment, show an overall improvement in the food security situation in Somalia as a result of large scale and prolonged humanitarian assistance, and favourable seasonal rains. The above average seasonal rains have also ended the drought that persisted since mid-2016, rejuvenating pastures and water sources across most of the country. However, the adverse impacts of the 2016-2017 severe drought are expected to persist, especially among people who were displaced and impoverished due to the drought, and among pastoralists who lost most of their animals and livelihood.

• Despite the improvements, 1.5 million people in Somalia face high levels of hunger (IPC Phase 3-Crisis and above) through to December 2018. Another 3.1 million people are vulnerable to shocks (IPC 2-Stressed) and could easily go hungry if they do not receive livelihood support. Malnutrition rates remain high with an estimated 294,000 children under the age of five likely to be acutely malnourished through to the end of the year, including 55,000 who are likely to be severely malnourished. IDP populations are the most vulnerable, with the majority of the 13 Internally Displaced People (IDP) settlements classified as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) and above. The majority of households facing extreme lack of food and classified as IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) are IDPs.

• In August, WFP reached over 1.93 million people in Somalia with food and nutrition assistance. Out of these, 911,000 people received assistance through cash-based transfers worth US$ 10.9 million, while 603,000 mothers and children received treatment and preventive nutrition assistance. Recovery activities are critical to building the resilience of households from future shocks, especially for agro-pastoralists across the country. WFP will continue to prioritize relief assistance for IDPs and areas with high prevalence of malnutrition, and transition households in Crisis and Stressed status to livelihood and recovery activities.