In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the government of Somalia, along with humanitarian agencies and the UN, announced their appeal for $1.6 billion to provide life-saving humanitarian and protection assistance to 5.2 million people out of the 6.9 million requiring aid in 2024.
The funding requirement represents a notable 37% reduction from the $2.6 billion sought in 2023 to meet the needs of 7.6 million people.
George Conway, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Chief and Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, highlighted the continued impact of climatic shocks, conflict, insecurity, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks as drivers of humanitarian needs in the region.
Aiming for collective outcomes, aid agencies are committed to reducing needs, risks, and vulnerabilities, increasing resilience, and preventing future shocks from escalating into catastrophe in this Horn of Africa nation.
While there has been improvement since 2023, the statement reveals that 4.3 million people, nearly one-fourth of the population, still face acute food insecurity, and two in five children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition.
Approximately 3.8 million people are internally displaced, and several districts are grappling with a spreading cholera outbreak.
Commissioner Mohamud Moalim of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) expressed concern about the humanitarian situation, emphasizing that over 80% of the displaced are women and children, facing serious protection risks.
The government is committed to addressing the underlying causes of the crises, improving livelihoods, and building long-term durable solutions, Moalim stated.
The joint statement outlines plans for humanitarian partners to implement a more targeted response, prioritizing assistance to populations in the most severe need.
Somalia has been grappling with a series of shocks, including a devastating drought, once-in-a-century heavy rains, and flooding, affecting millions of people, with millions more enduring ongoing challenges of hunger and malnutrition.
