UN sounds alarm on urgent aid for Somalis

About 5.2 million people in Somalia are in need of humanitarian assistance due to widespread and severe seasonal flooding, desert locust infestations, the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus, and protracted conflict, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

The "2020 Post Gu Seasonal Food Security and Nutrition Analysis for September" by the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, indicated that 1.3 million people in the country were facing a crisis and the number is expected to increase to 2.1 million by December in the absence of humanitarian assistance.

The analysis said 3.8 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity in Somalia and that 849,900 children under the age of five face acute malnutrition between September this year and August next year.

The rainy season－known as gu in Somalia－runs from late March to June. The harvest in southern Somalia is reportedly 40 percent lower than the long-term average for 1995 to 2019.That is mainly due to successive and severe flooding, erratic rainfall, a prolonged dry spell, and protracted insecurity, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

A desert locust infestation since January poses a serious risk of damage to both pastures and crops until the end of this year, according to the FAO.

Despite ongoing control operations, the latest FAO forecasts indicate the situation remains critical with immature adult locust populations persisting in the northeast and northwest regions.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the Somalia locust response requires $56.9 million, of which $49.6 million has been received.

Control operations are now being scaled up with increased aerial capacity, vehicles and additional biopesticide stock delivered.

In addition to the erratic rainy season and desert locust infestation, seasonal flooding since July has displaced nearly 342,000 people and inundated 294 villages, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees-led Protection and Return Monitoring Network in Somalia said.

The floods destroyed property and up to 20,000 hectares of assorted crops, mainly in the rural areas along the Juba and Shabelle river valleys.

Gradual reopening

The government has continued the gradual reopening of different sectors of the economy, following a decrease in the number of reported coronavirus cases.

However, insecurity and lack of access to funding and operational challenges remain a major constraint in the response.

Education Cluster Partners said at least 900,000 face masks and 16,728 digital thermometers are needed to support the safe reopening of schools for the 900,000 children targeted under the coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan.

Of the $256 million humanitarian component of the Somalia COVID-19 Country Preparedness and Response Plan launched in April, only $78.5 million had been received as of Oct 14.

Generally, the humanitarian needs in Somalia remain high, with $612 million out of the $1.01 billion humanitarian response plan funded as of Oct 14. This has enabled humanitarian actors to meet at least 61 percent of their overall requirements.

However, needs in key clusters such as health and protection, which are 40 and 30 percent funded, respectively, remain high, amid an increase in outbreaks and gender-based violence.