More than half of Somalia’s children need urgent treatment for malnutrition
Approximately 1.8 million children in Somalia, or 54.5% of the country’s children, are suffering from acute malnutrition and are in urgent need of treatment, according to a report released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a panel of independent experts, including Action Against Hunger, a global nonprofit leader in the movement to end hunger.
Today, an estimated 4.3 million people, or more than one in four Somalis, are already dealing with “crisis” levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or higher), or worse, meaning their caloric intake isn’t enough to sustain their lives and livelihoods. Mortality levels have already surpassed emergency (IPC Phase 4) thresholds in several areas, including the Baidoa and Burhakaba districts and in particularly vulnerable communities in Middle and Lower Shabelle.
An official declaration of famine in the Bay region of Somalia is predicted as soon as October. After accounting for currently planned food assistance from the global community, Action Against Hunger is warning that additional urgent action is needed or nearly 6.7 million people across Somalia — 41% of the total population – are expected to face crisis levels of hunger by the end of the year. Of those, 2.2 million are projected to face a hunger emergency (IPC phase 4) and at least 300,560 people could face famine (IPC Phase 5, catastrophe).
“There are so many people struggling to survive a hunger crisis and our window for preventing famine is closing,” said Ahmed Khalif, Country Director for Action Against Hunger in Somalia. “More than half of Somalia’s children are malnourished. Without help, 513,550 children – that’s practically equivalent to the entire population of New Orleans – are likely to die from hunger’s deadly effects. We cannot lose this generation – they are the hope for this country’s future.”
Hunger is rising rapidly across much of Somalia as a result of climate collapse and exceptionally high food prices stemming, in part, from the ongoing war in Ukraine and local conflicts. Disease outbreaks, including acute watery diarrhea, cholera, and measles, are made worse by the impact of drought and conflict on inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure.
Somalia also is witness to a rising number of climate refugees, with more than 3.8 million people internally displaced due to drought and conflict. According to data from the Somalia Drought Displacement Monitoring Dashboard, more than one million people were displaced between January 2021 and July 2022. In July alone, 83,518 people fled their homes. Most face grinding poverty and are forced to rely on humanitarian assistance since they have few assets or income-earning opportunities, rising food prices, low access to communal support.
Without significant interventions, there is the potential for Famine (IPC Phase 5) to not only be declared but to continue and deteriorate rapidly into 2023. Action Against Hunger warns that the situation will become catastrophic without a large-scale humanitarian response.
Action Against Hunger has been working in Somalia since 1992 and in 2020, we served nearly 9% of the country’s total population. We are promoting health by running 68 health and nutrition facilities and mobile teams; treating malnourished children; preventing hunger by helping families buy the food they need and farmers with solar irrigation kits, seeds and fertilizer; and providing clean water for drinking, cooking, and sanitation.
