Improving the nutritional status of Somali households

Some 6.2 million Somalis were acutely food insecure through the end of 2017, up from 5 million in late 2016. Over the past year, Somalia’s nutrition situation also continued to deteriorate. Fisheries has enormous yet untapped potential to improve food, livelihood and nutrition security in Somalia.

This project contributed to improve nutrition in Somalia through increased fish consumption. With funding from Kuwait, FAO procured quality robust: (i) hand operated grinders to produce fish flour from the high volume of small pieces of dried fish that are a byproduct of an ongoing well-established dried fish processing and marketing programme; and (ii) hand operated pasta machines. The project was carried out in close collaboration with fully trained trainers working with two existing IDP “export standards processing facility” communities in Bossaso to commercially produce nutritious pasta.