Despite some improvements in the country’s humanitarian crisis, approximately 6.6 million people across Somalia are projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity classified in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or above through June 2023. The three areas identified as at Risk of Famine in the last January 2023 IPC analysis (Mogadishu IDPs, Baidoa IDPs and Burhakaba Agropastoral) experienced a significant decrease in population in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) from 194,000 to around 12,000 with additional reductions in populations in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) and are no longer at Risk of Famine.

The previously estimated total burden of acute malnutrition among children under the age of five years in Somalia for January to December 2023 remains valid at approximately 1.8 million acutely malnourished children, including 477,700 who are projected to be severely malnourished. 

Lifesaving humanitarian response: Urgent and timely scaling up of multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance (in-kind food, cash/voucher transfers, nutrition, WASH, and health-related) is required through at least June 2023 and likely through late 2023 to prevent Famine (IPC Phase 5) – defined by extreme levels of food insecurity, acute malnutrition, and excess mortality, including starvation.

Livelihood support: Considering upcoming harsher-than-normal drought conditions and the significantly diminished resilience, the high vulnerability to shocks and the protected nature of food insecurity and malnutrition, close collaboration between humanitarian and development programmes is needed to tackle the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition  and enhance resilience.

Scale up nutrition interventions: Implement blanket supplementary feeding in the most affected areas to protect children and women from acute malnutrition given the projected worsening of an already precarious situation. Deploy a multi-sectoral approach to address the nutrition situation by incorporating livelihood/resilience activities into multi-sectoral nutrition response. Further scale-up of mass screening, integrated outreach services, coordination and nutrition surveillance.

Expand access to health services: Strengthen health services including routine immunization, vitamin A supplementation and control of childhood diseases. Strengthen existing community structures to improve behavioural change interventions. Scale-up sensitization on prompt health-seeking behaviours, environmental hygiene including water (WASH).