Somalia
Drought, 26 Apr 2021
| Allocation | $20,001,256 |
|---|---|
| Emergency type | Drought |
| Window | Rapid Response |
| Recipient UN Agencies | FAO, IOM, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO |
| Group(s) of people targeted | Host communities, Internally displaced persons, Other affected persons |
| People reached | 661,166 |
| Status | Report Available |
| Due dates | | |
| Allocation code | 21-RR-SOM-47081 |
| Title | Somalia RR Application Apr 2021 (Anticipatory Action for drought) |
Overview of the humanitarian situation
In 2021 the combined impact of consecutive dry seasons, severe water shortage and rising food prices resulted in increased poverty, widespread displacements, and food insecurity, making Somalia the most severely drought affected country in the Horn of Africa. A spike in conflict and insecurity, exacerbated the humanitarian situation forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. The poor 2020 Deyr rainy season (October to December) and forecasts of poor or below average April to June (Gu) rains and beyond led food security experts to predict that up to 2.65 million Somalis (21.5 per cent of the population) could face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity, including 400,000 likely to face emergency levels (3.2 per cent) between April and June 2021 – reaching the trigger thresholds for the AA framework.
CERF-funded assistance
As the trigger of the AA framework were reached, CERF allocated $20m for anticipatory action against drought to deliver more effective, timely and dignified humanitarian assistance to 661,166 people in anticipation of what would become one of the most severe drought crises in the Horn of Africa. Together, seven UN agencies and their 45 implementing partners (including nine government ministries and agencies, eight international NGOs, 27 national NGOs and the Somalia Red Crescent Society) delivered a comprehensive package of assistance, consisting of food assistance, livelihood support, water and sanitation, health, nutrition, and protection assistance. This included: construction of 28 boreholes and repair of 12 shallow wells bringing water to over 138,000 people; distribution of drought-resistant seeds and tools with cash to 15,000 farmers; livestock assistance with cash to 22,000 farmers and vaccination of 37,000 goats and sheep; additional unconditional cash transfers to 110,298 people; screening of 518,005 children for malnutrition and nutrition treatment for 83,814 children and 35,119 pregnant or lactating women; vaccination of 33,750 children against measles; deployment of 11 Rapid Response Teams for early disease detection and control; and menstrual hygiene and dignity kits for over 10,000 women and girls. Together, the UN agencies and their partners reached 57,392 men, 85,772 women, 264,181 girls and 253,821 boys. Among those reached, there were 125,457 people with disabilities.
CERFs Strategic Added Value
CERF funding led to fast delivery of assistance. For example, the timely release of funds in April 2021 – a time when overall response funding was low - enabled swift procurement of critical nutrition supplies, medicines and vaccines which allowed the scaling up of emergency health services in priority districts. CERF also helped respond to time-critical needs, especially relating to water provision. Thanks to the timing of the CERF allocation, it was still possible to drill and rehabilitate boreholes, ensuring a more lasting solution ahead of the expected deterioration of the drought conditions. The CERF funding also improved coordination among the humanitarian community, especially between UN agencies, implementing partners and line ministries. CERF partially helped improve resource mobilization from other sources: being the first sources of funding for 2021, the CERF AA allocation helped raise awareness of the deteriorating drought conditions which in turn encouraged other donors to scale up response. Furthermore, the analysis from the CERF prioritization exercise provided a baseline for agencies to engage other donors to mobilize resources.