Somalia: Multisectoral, at-scale support will save lives and safeguard livelihoods

Speaking at today’s Virtual Briefing to Member States on the situation in Somalia, FAO Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Rein Paulsen, called for multi-sectoral approaches to stave off famine and catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

Today saw a virtual briefing to Member States on the situation in Somalia, convened by the Under Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths. On the heels of the recent warning by UN principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on Somalia’s food insecurity situation and projection of famine, today’s briefing discussed the latest food security and nutrition analysis, which make the case for urgent scaled-up action and funding if we are to avert a fully-fledged hunger catastrophe – one that can still be narrowly avoided.

The number of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in Somalia has increased from 4.1 million at the start of 2022 to 7.1 million people between June and September 2022. The deadly combination of prolonged drought due to multiple failed rainy seasons, in addition to conflict, skyrocketing food prices, and the still-present impacts of COVID-19, is making for an especially desperate situation.

Participating in the briefing was the FAO Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, Rein Paulsen, who underscored the rural nature of looming famine in the country. 

The face of famine in Somalia is overwhelmingly rural

Speaking on the findings of the Famine Review Committee on Somalia, Paulsen explained, the rate at which people are dying from sheer lack of food or from a combination of hunger and disease was higher in agro-pastoral rural areas compared to those in sites hosting internally displaced populations (IDP). 

“That’s not to say that we shouldn't be scaling up in the IDP sites – we should and we are,” he stressed, adding that “it is a reminder that if we are really to do justice to the saving lives piece, we simply must redouble our efforts in rural areas”.

Those currently facing famine and experiencing extreme hunger are overwhelmingly livestock owners and rural families. Their survival depends on the survival of their herds, and their children’s nutrition is inextricably linked to the health and productivity of their animals. Yet, those animals have been dying at a shocking rate for the last year, a bleak reality Paulsen witnessed on his recent visit to the country.

FAO reached 333 661 households between January and August this year with lifesaving cash and livelihood assistance, but the scale of assistance currently being delivered and funding from the international community is not yet sufficient to protect those most at risk.

Yet, investing in agricultural livelihoods as part of the humanitarian response is also one of the most cost-effective interventions in food crisis contexts. FAO estimates that every USD 1 invested in protecting rural livelihoods saves around USD 10 in food-related assistance for displaced families.

Lifesaving cash and livelihood assistance to tackle looming famine today and build resilience ahead

Direct cash support is the most cost-effective response to time-sensitive food needs, Paulsen remarked. Channeling cash at scale allows us to reach many hungry people, even in hard-to-reach areas. FAO has therefore already moved to convert its ongoing support to these rural communities into cash assistance, alongside critical livestock feed, care, and water, but much more is urgently needed. 

Some $268.2 million are needed to support over 390 000 households, or over 2.3 million people, across 52 districts through June 2023 with immediate lifesaving and livelihood safeguarding assistance. Yet, only 24.1 percent of the plan has been funded as of September 2022.

Beyond cash support, Paulsen added that a multisectoral response is vital if immediate food needs are to be met and long-term resilience and livelihood rehabilitation ensured. This whole-of-systems approach needs more attention – and urgent funding – in order to help people get back on their feet and have the ability to feed themselves, staving off famine today and ahead of a potential next market, climate, or humanitarian shock.

“Unless we have funding at scale for water, for health, for nutrition, in addition to what needs to be done on the food security side, we will not be able to achieve our shared ambition of saving lives,” Paulsen said, highlighting the importance of having all sectors concurrently receiving the support they need to ensure an effective response, both in rural areas and in IDP sites.

Related links

• Watch the recording.
• Read more about the response by FAO and partners here and here.
• Revisit the latest food security and nutrition analysis for Somalia, according to the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), here and here.