More than 850000 people face acute food insecurity in Somalia UN food assessment shows

9/1/2015 5:59:53 AM

(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))

NEW YORK 1st September 2015 (WAM) -- Somalia's humanitarian situation remains "alarming" four years after a devastating famine with the number of people requiring emergency aid rising 17 percent to more than 850000 and those in "food-stressed" situations still at 2.3 million according to the latest United Nations-managed food assessment study.

"The levels of food insecurity and malnutrition are critical" said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Peter de Clercq. "Humanitarian actors and donors have prevented the situation being a lot worse than it is but we all need to do more."

"The situation among internally displaced people is particularly worrying" Mr. de Clercq said.

In 2011 Somalia experienced a devastating famine according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA. Things have since improved but humanitarian needs remain vast and the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance continues to fluctuate around 3 million. The ability to absorb shocks whether conflict or natural disasters is very limited.

According to the Food Security and Nutrition Assessment for Somalia managed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO "widespread acute malnutrition persists across Somalia and large numbers of people will be acutely food insecure through December 2015."

The results of assessment presented today in the Somali capital of Mogadishu "indicate that the country's humanitarian situation remains alarming" OCHA said.

More than two thirds or 68 percent of the people who are in crisis and emergency are internally displaced and nearly 215000 children aged under five are acutely malnourished of whom almost 40000 are severely malnourished and face a high risk of disease and death.

"We must continue investing in saving lives. We cannot allow a reversal in the important steps forward made on the humanitarian and development fronts" Mr. de Clercq said "We must simultaneously address the underlying causes of the country's predicament and work on durable solutions that will mitigate suffering while also building a more resilient Somalia."

WAM/AAMIR/Moran

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