58,000 Children at Risk of Death: Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in Somalia
For Immediate Release
58,000 Children at Risk of Death: Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in Somalia
February 11, 2016- Millions of people including over 304,000 children in Somalia are currently at risk of malnutrition and in need of nutritional support. A further 58,000 children under five are severely malnourished and face an increased risk of morbidity and death. This is according to the latest Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) in collaboration with Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) analysis on the food insecurity in Somalia.
The analysis estimates that 4.7 million people, nearly 40 per cent of the Somalia population, is in need of humanitarian assistance due to the alarming food security and malnutrition situations. The assessment further revealed that over 900,000 people will be in crisis across Somalia through June 2016 if no immediate action is taken.
While severe food insecurity and malnutrition is widespread across the country, drought in Puntland and Somaliland is of particular concern. According to the assessment by FSNAU and FEWS NET, erratic rains during the 2015 Gu (April-June) and the Karan (August-September) seasons in Puntland and Somaliland has resulted in a near total crop failure production that was below the estimated average. The 2015 Deyr rains (October-December) were also below average putting pressure on pasture and livestock. World Vision Somalia’s areas of operation that are affected include Dangorayo and Eyl in Puntland and Awdal in Somaliland. The drought conditions in both Puntland and Somaliland threaten recent gains made towards building household food security. Drought is becoming a more frequent feature in Somalia, challenging efforts to build up community resilience since the famine of 2011.
World Vision has been responding to the population’s needs with interventions such as securing nutrition levels, enhancing health provision and protecting livelihoods in Somaliland since July 2015 when the government first made a drought declaration where 240,000 people were affected. The number has since increased to 337,000 people. In Puntland, the drought was declared in January 2016 by the government where it indicated that more than 213,000 people had been affected.
“We are committed to ensuring that the communities we work with in Somaliland and Puntland not only receive immediate aid now, but that long term investments continue to be made to build their resilience to drought in the years to come”, stressed Simon Nyabwengi World Vision Somalia’s Country Director.
Urgent support is needed now not only for the drought, but for all of Somalia as the scale of the humanitarian crisis continues to grow and NGOs, the UN and governments struggle to find sufficient resources to adequately respond to the mounting scale of the challenge. The recently launched 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Somalia appeals for USD 885 million to address the most urgent needs across the country.
About World Vision Somalia
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by our Christian values, we are dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. We serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Since 1993, World Vision has been working in areas of Somalia with the highest levels of child poverty. Our goal is to achieve long-lasting benefits in the quality of life for vulnerable children and their families, displaced persons, and communities using a development approach that increases participation, understanding and unity among people of different cultures while promoting the rights and interests of Somali children.
The organisation works across Somalia in Somaliland, Puntland, Jubaland and South West. Its portfolio is wide and varied and includes the following sectors: health and nutrition, water and sanitation, resilience and livelihoods, education and TB treatment
Following the 2011 famine and more than 20 years since the collapse of the central government, strong signs of hope are emerging for sustained peace, and the opportunity for families to live healthy, prosperous lives. World Vision is committed to walking with communities from emergency through rehabilitative programming in order to bring about sustainable and long-term change over the coming years.
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For more information contact:
Jennifer Jalovec
Communications and Advocacy Director
World Vision Somalia
Email: Jennifer_Jalovec@wvi.org
Mobile: +254(0)731073217
Skype: jenjalovec
Patricia Gimode
Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs (HEA) Manager
World Vision Somalia
Email: patricia_gimode@wvi.org
Mobile: +252 907 002 993 (Somalia)
+254 722 361 607 (Kenya)
Skype: pgimode