Issued on 27 March
Situation overview
Malnutrition continues to be a challenge in Somalia despite the continuous improvement in the humanitarian situation. The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) highlights that improvements in food security do not imply immediate reduction of malnutrition rates due to several contributing factors such as disease, limited sanitation structures and inadequate food intake. Nutrition partners are continuing to strengthen their preventive programmes to address these underlying causes, while they continue working on emergency response. As with all other humanitarian partners, one of the main challenges remains access to beneficiaries especially in parts of southern Somalia.
Humanitarians are concerned about the steady increase in cases of acute watery diarrhoea in Banadir and Lower Shabelle regions. In February alone, 565 suspected cases were reported and the number is expected to increase with the start of the rainy season in April. Health partners are working on pre-positioning of medical supplies to be able to respond rapidly to the foreseen cyclical increase of needs during the rainy season especially in the riverine areas in the south.