Southern and Eastern Africa

Somalia

A woman with baby in her arms stands in front of an informal tent. Two men and a woman in blue vests and clothing face her.
Madow Ahmed, a mother of three children talks to staff from OCHA and other aid partners in Yaqbarwe camp for the displaced in Baidoa, Somalia. With support from the OCHA-managed Somalia Humanitarian Fund, NGO, ACTED, has assisted the camp's residents including Madow's family with cash, water trucking, hygiene promotion, and built a water tank of 10,000 liters and latrines with solar lights, including those that are disability-friendly. OCHA/Yao Chen
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Somalia experienced the worst drought in decades in 2023, followed by the most extensive floods in generations, all within the span of just a few months. Despite some improvements, levels of humanitarian needs are still severe and extreme. Almost one in five Somalis face high levels of acute food insecurity. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis published on 15 February, at least 4 million people (21 per cent of the population) are estimated to be in IPC Phase 3 or worse (Crisis or Emergency) until March 2024. 

High levels of acute malnutrition persist in many areas, with an estimated 1.7 million children aged 6 to 59 months facing acute malnutrition between January and December 2024, of whom 430,000 are likely to be severely malnourished. Access to healthcare is limited and functional health facilities are inadequate, which heightens the risk of maternal and infant mortality, increases rates of preventable diseases like cholera.

 

Recurrent shocks, including climatic events such as droughts, floods, conflict/insecurity and disease outbreaks will continue to exacerbate humanitarian needs in 2024. While the number of people in need is projected to decrease slightly by 17 per cent from 8.3 million in 2023 to 6.9 million, the humanitarian crisis remains alarming and well above the five-year average.  

 Displacement remains widespread, with millions of people forced to abandon their homes and live in dire conditions in displacement sites. More than 3.8 million people are displaced; many more than once. Women and children make up more than 80 per cent of displaced people and face significant protection risks, which are heightened by pre-existing inequities. 

The 2024 Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) requires US$1.6 billion to assist 5.2 million people. The plan is highly targeted, focusing on areas with high need severity. This has led to a 32 per cent decrease in the number of people targeted and a 40 per cent reduction in financial requirements compared to 2023. Ten of 74 districts have been prioritized from January to March 2024, with a focus on emergency response in the districts most affected by flooding in 2023. 

 To focus on the most vulnerable, sub-national and area-based coordination is being strengthened. The response advocates for scaled-up support to durable solutions, social protection programming, disaster risk reduction and water management, to mitigate the structural drivers of humanitarian needs. However, attacks on humanitarian workers and infrastructure and restrictions on movements exacerbate access and operational challenges.

 

Overview of humanitarian response in Somalia

For a full overview of the humanitarian response, visit humanitarianaction.info
Population
18.7M 2024
In Need
6.9M 2024
Acutely malnourished children below 5
1.5M
In Need
6.9M 2024
Targeted
5.2M 2024
Total requirements (USD)
1.6B 2024
Total requirements (USD)
1.6B 2024
Funding total (USD)
151.7M 2024
Funding gap (USD)
1.4B 2024

The Somalia Humanitarian Fund

Pledged amount (USD)
14.2M 2024
Paid amount (USD)
9.1M 2024

Resources

Somalia

News and Press Release

Joint press conference at conclusion of visit to Somalia by Ms.Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Ms.Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization

Assistant Secretary-General Musya: Good afternoon, members of the media and those who have joined online. Assalam alaikum. We have spent, and my colleague Beth [Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of...

Originally published
Sources
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Read more

Somalia

News and Press Release

Joint UN mission to sound alarm on humanitarian crisis in Somalia

7 March 2024, New York/Rome - With nearly 7 million people in Somalia – or two out of every five people – in need of life-saving assistance in Somalia this year, and 1.7 million children likely to...

Originally published
Sources
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Read more

Somalia

Other

Somalia Humanitarian Fund Annual Report 2023

In 2023, Somalia grappled with extreme climatic events, which included the worst drought since 1981 that nearly pushed the country into famine. This was compounded by intense flooding, exacerbated by...

Originally published
Source
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Read more

Somalia

Situation Report

Somalia Monthly Humanitarian Update, February 2024

This report is produced by OCHA Somalia in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It provides information on the humanitarian situation across Somalia in February 2024. HIGHLIGHTS • Assistant...

Originally published
Source
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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Somalia

Situation Report

Somalia Situation Report, 17 Mar 2024

HIGHLIGHTS ASG for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy ERC, Ms. Joyce Msuya and the Deputy DG of the Food and Agriculture Organization Ms. Beth Bechdol visited Somalia from 7 to 9 March. Four million...

Originally published
Source
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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Funding for OCHA Somalia

Total requirements (USD)
10.3M 2024
Opening balance (USD)
0 2024
Earmarked funding (USD)
680.6K 2024
Total (USD)
680.6K 2024