Friday, December 02, 2016
By the 15th of November 2016, the rains in Somalia were roughly 1 month late. The past two seasonal rains (Deyr 2015, Gu 2016) have varied regionally, however the general trend has been that the Deyr 2015 rains were strong, but ended a month early, leading to a longer dry season in early 2016. The Gu 2016 rains were strong in late April and early May, but ended abruptly causing crop failures in Southern-most regions. Evidence and feedback from the field show that the drought is wide-spread in Puntland, Somaliland, and most parts of the southern and central regions, including Hiraan,
Galgaduud, Gedo, Lower Shabele, Mudug and Jubaland.
Based on the recent seasonal assessment jointly led by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit for Somalia (FSNAU, a project managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization), and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which was released in September, Poor Gu rainfall, locally significant floods, trade disruption, and new and continued population displacement contributed to a worsening of the food security situation in Somalia. As a result,
-1096000 people face Crisis (IPC Phase 3)
43000 more people will be in Emergency (IPC Phase 4)
3.9 million people are classified as Stressed (IPC Phase 2)
5 Million people face acute food insecurity across Somalia
However the final quarter of 2016 has seen competing priorities mobilize the attention of the humanitarian community: elections, conflict in Galcackyo; withdrawal of the troops from more than 8 areas and the subsequent take-over of these locations by armed non-state actors; the conflict and displacement of population in Afgoye; and finally, the return process of the refugees from Daadab camp.