Somalia launches third phase of programme to strengthen resilience among marginalized communities in Jubaland State

MOGADISHU, 28 October 2021: The Federal Government of Somalia has today launched the third phase of a programme to build resilience among almost 25,000 disadvantaged and marginalized households in Jubaland State. Funded by the Government of Germany through the German Development Bank (KfW), this three-year, 50 million Euro programme phase aims to improve access to education, health, hygiene and nutrition for children and adolescents and enhance food security among disadvantaged households.

In the first year of implementation, this third phase will reach about 146,000 people; 147,000 in the second year; and 148,000 in the third year. People targeted for inclusion include very young and school-aged children; vulnerable adolescents; internally displaced and food-insecure communities; and malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

This phase of the programme will be managed by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It will be implemented by the federal ministries of Planning, Investment and Economic Development; Education, Culture and Higher Education; Health, Agriculture and Irrigation; Livestock, Forestry and Range; and Water and Energy, the Jubaland State Government, district and local authorities, and non-governmental organizations. 

The programme is intended to increase access to inclusive, child-friendly education, school water and sanitation (WASH), health and nutrition for children at pre-primary and primary levels; to reduce micronutrient deficiencies among young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women; to enable households to improve food security and livelihoods through diversified agricultural production and income generation; and to strengthen government systems to promote quality health, nutrition, education and WASH services in schools and health facilities.

“The Federal Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development is pleased to lead and participate in this launching event of the third phase of joint resilience program which will be implemented in Jubaland state,” said Abdinasir Katib Omar, Acting Director-General in the Ministry. “On behalf of the Federal Government, the Ministry is grateful to the German Government for funding this project that seeks to strengthen resilience as well as building on the lessons learnt from the previous Phases I and II. Similarly, the Ministry would like to thank the UN agencies for close collaboration in regard to the implementation of this project. The Ministry looks forward to the strengthened partnership and cooperation among the stakeholders in order to achieve project objectives and desired outcome.”

“We are delighted to see the launch of Phase III which builds on the success of the previous two phases of the programme,” said Head of Cooperation at the Germany mission to Somalia. “Joining forces with the three UN organisations using an integrated life-cycle approach will further increase the resilience of the targeted communities and allow them access to basic services including nutrition, health, education and WASH. The addition of a livelihoods element in Phase III highlights the transformative character of the programme which will allow communities to react even stronger to shocks.”

This third phase will build on the results achieved in both Jubaland State and Banadir Region under the first and second phases of the programme, also supported by Germany via KfW, since their inception in 2018 and 2019 respectively.  These results include contributing to a decrease in global acute malnutrition in Banadir from 20.4 percent to 16 percent, averting an estimated 15,820 child deaths through the acute malnutrition treatment programme, and higher coverage of outpatient therapeutic feeding and targeted supplementary feeding in Gedo and Banadir compared to other regions. Some 230,000 children under 2 and 160,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women have received specialized nutritious food to prevent malnutrition. Additionally, WASH services have been improved in 50 schools and 34 health facilities to the benefit of 21,000 school pupils and 85,000 health facility users.

Under Phase III of the programme, nutrition and education interventions will be jointly supported by UNICEF and WFP, WASH interventions by UNICEF, and livelihoods by FAO. Some 9,000 households with malnourished children, and 7,000 households with vulnerable school children, will be enrolled in livelihood activities to improve food security through agriculture production and income generation.

“This joint action for building resilience in Somalia represents an important collaborative milestone between the three agencies. Together, with the support of KFW and in close collaboration with the Government (coordinated by MoPIED), the Agencies will help chronically food-insecure people to better withstand shocks. The inclusion of FAO in Phase III means the introduction of irrigation, rainfed agriculture and other livelihood opportunities that complement the work of WFP and UNICEF in providing a comprehensive package of interventions that will enable vulnerable households to produce, access and afford nutritious food” said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO Country Representative for Somalia.

 “The third phase of this programme is a key opportunity to sustain and build on the gains already made for the people most at risk from malnutrition and food insecurity in Jubaland,” said WFP Representative and Country Director El-Khidir Daloum. “In our mission for Zero Hunger, we are committed to working with the Government, our sister United Nations agencies and other partners to deliver better food security and nutrition outcomes for the people we serve – and to support them in strengthening their own self-sufficient resilience against shocks for the long term.”

“Children in Jubaland continue to live in some of the most difficult conditions in Somalia,” said UNICEF Representative Mohamed Ayoya. “They suffer displacements because of climate shocks and conflicts, they are more likely to be malnourished and out-of-school, and they lack access to water and sanitation, the essentials of life. Through this programme, we will strive to ensure that quality support is provided to targeted individuals and that no deserving child is left behind.”