Situation Analysis of Children in Somalia 2016
An objective analysis of the available data and information to create an accurate picture of the current situation in the country.
Highlights
The Situation Analysis of Children in Somalia 2016 aims to provide an objective analysis of the available data and information to create an accurate picture of the current situation in the country.
The study shows how the situation of children in Somalia is improving, with more children surviving, being vaccinated, going to school and being registered, and increasing numbers of families with sustainable water supply systems and access to health care.
However, much more still needs to be done. Somali children and their mothers continue to suffer from multiple nutritional deprivations, which deny them the opportunity to thrive and reach their full developmental potential. Over 300,000 children under the age of five are acutely malnourished and the under-five mortality rate is among the highest in the world, with one out of every seven Somali children dying before their fifth birthday and fewer than half of children estimated to have been vaccinated against measles. In addition, the maternal mortality ratio is extraordinarily high, with 1 in every 12 women dying due to pregnancy-related causes.
Somalia is one of the world’s least protective environments for children, with over 2,000 grave violations recorded in 2015. Nearly every girl undergoes Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and only 4 in 10 go to school.
Children under 18 make up over half of the population and need to be at the centre of the humanitarian and development agenda. The Somali Government is committed to the survival, development and protection of children and demonstrated this by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 2015. This provides an important framework for policy and legislation on children’s rights.
The children of Somalia represent the future of the country. Investment in them is crucial to ensure there is equitable and sustainable development and this study should help guide all stakeholders in determining how this should happen.
Steven Lauwerier
UNICEF Somalia Representative
