FSNAU In Focus

April 27, NAIROBI –The number of needy Somalis is set to increase as the impact of drought continues to grip the Horn of Africa country, the UN has warned. Currently, 2.4 million Somalis—32 percent of the country’s population, are in need of humanitarian assistance but with the ongoing conflict coupled with the current drought blighting crops and killing livestock, many more Somalis may fall into crisis.

Two units of the UN’s Food Agriculture Organization;...

The health indicators of  the population in Somalia remain among the poorest in the world today. The population is faced with a chronic nutrition crisis, with malnutrition rates exceeding emergency thresholds. High morbidity rates, household food insecurity coupled with sub-optimal feeding and child care practices are the direct factors resulting in the persistently poor nutrition situation of the  children in Somalia.  The lack of adequate safe water and basic health...

In the eastern Horn of Africa, households in pastoral and marginal cropping areas currently face moderate to extreme levels of food insecurity due to an ongoing drought, deteriorating purchasing power, and, in some areas, limits on the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Based on the findings of a multi‐agency scenario building process, the likely poor performance of March‐May rainfall is expected to result in further deterioration in food security (Figures 1 and 2). Even if March‐May rains...

The findings of the FSNAU, FEWSNET and partner post Deyr 2010/11 seasonal assessment indicate that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia has increased by 20 percent to 2.4 million.This represents 32 percent of Somalia’s 7.5 million people. Failure of the Deyr seasonal rains linked to prevailing La Niña event affecting Somalia, caused a severe water crisis in most parts of the country with the exception of north-western regions. The dry...