Somalia

Funding appeals and humanitarian action updates

Somalia is one of the three poorest countries in the world and characterized by chronically high rates of acute malnutrition above emergency levels. There is an ongoing and sustained humanitarian crisis, with 43% of the country’s population including 1.4 million children in need of emergency livelihood and life saving assistance. The situation is compounded by the combination of the ongoing conflict that resulted in the displacement of more than 1 million people, economic collapse, rising criminality and natural disasters.
UNICEF works through over 100 local and international NGOs and community based organizations throughout the country to provide a variety of multi-sectoral services. Among other activities, UNICEF and partners provide water daily to 250,000 IDPs and nutritional support to 100,000 children per month.
UNICEF Somalia has received no contributions to date against the appeal for US$ 79 million in the 2009 CAP/Humanitarian Action Report. In order to be able to carry out its activities, US$ 10.5 million are needed for the next three months for priority activities.
Somalia Humanitarian Action Update 3 March 2009 [pdf]

On the heels of the prolonged drought in 2005-2006, the children and women of Somalia are bearing the brunt of a debilitating combination of conflict, flooding and disease outbreak during 2007. The worst-affected areas are the regions of the Central and Southern Zone (CSZ) which are home to 70% of Somalia’s population. Families recovering from the effects of the drought were plunged into widespread flooding in late 2006-early 2007 and are now facing outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea, alongside malnutrition rates that were already at emergency levels. Although the food and livelihood situation had improved by February 2007, the escalation of fighting in and around Mogadishu has resulted in thousands of civilians killed or wounded and large-scale displacement; up to 365,000 people have fled the area since the beginning of February as Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopian troops battle insurgent elements in the city. The majority of the displaced are women, children under 14 and the elderly, while men appear to be remaining in Mogadishu to protect family assets. Further, the Gu rains have now started, with potential for more flooding. UNICEF urgently requires US$ 13.5 million to respond to the immediate needs of children and women.
Somalia Donor Update 2 May 2007 [pdf]

In the last few months, the “El Nino” phenomenon, blamed for severe flooding that affected much of the Horn in late 2006, has extended its impact across Southern Africa. Resultant flooding has coincided with the cyclone season (December-April) in which, thus far, Madagascar and Mozambique have been seriously affected while riverine communities in Zambia have experienced localized displacement. Significant damage to infrastructure has been assessed, especially in Mozambique including schools, health facilities, roads and food stores. Both the cyclone and rainy seasons are projected to extend into April, entailing further possible hardship for children and families in South-Eastern Africa.
An almost unprecedented number of countries in the region are now also reporting acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) or cholera cases, several of which have been in sustained crisis for many months. UNICEF offices in South-Eastern Africa are now responding to meet the acute humanitarian needs that both exacerbate chronic vulnerabilities and complicate efforts towards the broader progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
East and Southern Africa Donor Update 30 Mar 2007 [pdf]

Somalia is facing its worst flood crisis in a decade with over 350.000 people directly affected, including 70,000 children. There is also an increasing concern that a new military conflict may bring about widespread population displacement and with it a worsening of the existing humanitarian crisis and a loss of access to the most needy children and communities. Set against the current situation, child survival conditions in Somalia remain amongst the poorest in the world, with large areas of the region still recovering from the livelihood crisis induced by one of the worst droughts in recent memory (2005-06).
Horn of Africa Immediate Needs document 7 December 2006