Likely La Niña event will lead to further deterioration in food security - UN
The Gu rains from April to June 2016 provided some relief and reduced the impact of the drought in parts of Puntland and Somaliland. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) managed Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) Awdal, Woqooyi Galbeed and Toghdeer regions received near average to above average rainfall compared to the long term mean for the period. Recovery from the drought nevertheless remains very slow. The remaining parts of Somaliland, and most areas in Puntland recorded below average rains that were sporadic and ended prematurely.
In April 2016, a Somalia Inter-Agency Rapid Needs Assessment (SIRNA) was carried out at household level in most affected areas of Puntland and Somaliland to complement existing information and provide a broad multicluster overview of needs. The priority needs highlighted were food and water, as well as healthcare. In addition, nutrition, education, protection and shelter support were required to ensure minimum standards of living among vulnerable girls, pregnant and lactating women, boys and men, and prevent an exacerbation of existing vulnerabilities and exposure to protection risks. Scarcity of pasture and water sources also increases the risk of inter-communal violence due to competition and related protection violations.
The outlook for southern and central Somalia is also increasingly worrying. According to the FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), as of 30 June, the 2016 Gu harvest is expected to be 30 to 50 per cent below average in southern Somalia. In addition, with a 50 per cent chance of a La Nina event, the next Deyr rainy season (October – December) is likely to be below average in most parts of the country. The ongoing Acute Watery Diarrhea/Cholera outbreak in large portions of the country further compounds vulnerability.
This update of the “Call for Aid” provides a snapshot of the current situation, response and highlights gaps in Puntland and Somaliland in order to mobilize further response to avert a deterioration of the situation due to prolonged effects of drought in most affected areas. It also maps out a strategy for supporting recovery following four consecutive seasons of below average rainfall in Somaliland and one in Puntland that has compromised the coping capacities of the people. It covers the three-month period from July to September 2016, and builds on the Call for Aid launched on 31 March 2016, Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2016 and the Somalia Contingency Plan for El Niño developed in September 2015. It continues to align with priorities outlined in the 2016 HRP related to drought in Somaliland and Puntland and emerging needs.
Of the US$127 million required as of 31 March, $49 million has been funded. These resources have enabled clusters to scale up, but a gap of US$61 million remains to provide humanitarian assistance over the remaining period to 1.7 million people in Puntland and Somaliland.
