Global Humanitarian Response for 2014 launched today Somalia appeal seeks US$928 million for 3.2 million Somalis in need

(Mogadishu, 16 December 2013) – The Global Humanitarian Response for 2014, launched today by Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos, seeks $13 billion to support millions of people in crisis zones worldwide, including Somalia. In Somalia, there are some 3.18 million people affected by the protracted crisis, with $927.5 million needed in assistance in 2014.

A three-year appeal for Somalia was developed for the 2013-2015 period to respond to humanitarian needs, build resilience and dovetail with the recently developed New Deal development framework. One year after the Somalia appeal was launched in Mogadishu, humanitarian agencies have revised the plan to reflect the changes in need and operational context.

There has been some improvement in the humanitarian situation. Somalia is nowhere near the famine conditions that devastated the country in 2011. For the first time in five years, the number of people in need of life-saving assistance reduced from just over 1 million to 870,000 reflecting modest gains in food security in Somalia in 2013.

More needs to be done to continue and consolidate gains. Much of the progress remains fragile and can be thwarted by shocks related to climate, conflict and economy. Early warnings already indicate that flooding, late onset of rains and a devastating tropical storm in 2013 may lead to poor harvests in 2014. With nearly 3.2 million people in need of assistance, the humanitarian crisis in Somalia remains one of the largest in the world. More than 1.1 million people are estimated to be internally displaced and 1 million Somalis live outside the country as refugees. Some 2.3 million people live on the verge of food insecurity and need support to prevent them from falling back into emergency.

“Aid organizations in Somalia responded rapidly to humanitarian emergencies in 2013, vaccinating millions in response to polio, responding to people devastated by floods and the tropical storm and advocating for protection of survivors of abuse. But we can and must do more to build resilience,” said Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Philippe Lazzarini. “With more resources we can do better in 2014 to break the cycle of crisis and response and lay the groundwork for long lasting solutions in Somalia.” The Somalia CAP had received just 48 per cent of the requested funding for 2013 at year end. Consequently, fewer people were reached and the implementation of longer-term programmes to shore up resilience was limited.

The second year of the three-year CAP has been revised to reflect these needs, the capacity to implement, and the priority of building the resilience of the Somali people. Other priorities include the needs of the returning refugees and very vulnerable displaced people in country. There is also a strengthened focus on protection issues, as the UN and its partners are building up the capacity to address and prevent violations such as gender-based violence, forced recruitment and abuse of children.

Some 137 organizations are participating in the second year of the three-year appeal, of which over 80 per cent are national partners. This year’s appeal is about 30 per cent less than the $1.3 billion requested in 2013, reflecting the reduction in overall needs and the increased focus on working where aid agencies are able to implement.

For further information, please contact:
In Mogadishu, Abdi Yussuf Noor on nooryussuf@un.org or +252 252 699 775 813 In Nairobi, Cecilia Attefors on attefors@un.org or +254 733 770 766