Statement from the UN Humanitarian Coordinator: As Somalia’s fragile improvements continue, HC cautions against complacency

(Mogadishu, 4 February 2014) — Commenting on the latest results of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit twice annual assessment and forecast of the food and nutrition situation in Somalia the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mr. Philippe Lazzarini warned against complacency in the wake of a slight improvement, saying the momentum of the humanitarian response has to be maintained for a country still recovering from the 2011 famine, which killed over 260,000 people in excess mortality.

Compared to six months ago, the number of people projected to be in ‘crisis and emergency’ conditions over the next six months has reduced ever so slightly to 857,000 from 870,000. The number of Somalis in food security ‘stress’ has also reduced to 2 million people from 2.3 million.

“Much of this incremental improvement is due to the rapid and focused actions of humanitarian agencies who responded to early warnings of the potentially poor harvests issued at the end of 2013. This softened the impact and helped prevent a worsening of the crisis. Early warnings were translated into early response and saved lives,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator, who also cautioned that the recent improvements could easily be reversed without sustained assistance and noted that agencies are now facing significant funding gaps for 2014.

“A worrying trend is the increasing levels of severely malnourished children. Today, more than 50,000 malnourished children are at death’s doorstep. Without assistance, that number could double in six months,” he said. Lack of access and the loss of key partners prevented essential nutrition services from being delivered.

“Somalia’s story is as, ever, complex and we must not take improvements for granted.
Today’s humanitarian situation is eerily similar to conditions prior to the famine – numbers are slightly improved but resources are dwindling and access is challenging. We have warned in the past, and I will again now, this is not the time for complacency,” said Mr. Lazzarini. “If we fail to continue to support Somalis in strengthening their resilience, the vulnerable people of Somalia will be at risk of slipping back into the same crisis conditions we know too well.”

For further information on the assessment results please contact Frank Nyakairu, FAO at frank.nyakairu@fao.org or +254 786 399311. For comment in Somali or to reach the HC in Somalia, contact Abdi Yussuf Noor at nooryussuf@un.org or +252-699775813