And in Somalia, 1.7 million people are expected to face crisis [and] emergency levels of food insecurity until June, representing a 10 per cent increase in food insecurity, following a second consecutive failed rainy season that has led to livestock losses and widespread crop failure.
Malnutrition rates are rapidly escalating due to the drought conditions and 954,000 children are anticipated to be acutely malnourished, and that’s including 174,600 children who are severely malnourished.
The humanitarian country team is preparing a drought response plan to address food gaps in the most severely affected areas and to prepare for substantial increases in needs between May and October. So far,
Somalia’s 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan, which is seeking $1.08 billion, is only 19 per cent funded.
Insufficient funding has led to the scaling back of water, sanitation and hygiene activities despite serious water shortages across the country.
PRESS RELEASE
