HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT
The humanitarian situation has improved since the 2011 famine, but needs remain vast and the gains are fragile: 870,000 people are unable to meet basic food requirements without assistance and a further 2.3 million only barely meet their food needs and rely on sustained support for other necessities. Malnutrition rates also remain among the highest in the world, with 206,000 children under the age of five acutely malnourished, down from 215,000 in January. Humanitarian workers are preparing for a possible downturn in food security due to climactic shocks, including river flooding and flash floods induced by the tropical storm that hit the Puntland coast in November, to ensure appropriate response.
THREE-YEAR PLANNING STRATEGY TO STRENGTHEN PROGRAMMING
The Somalia Consolidated Appeal covers a three-year period. The funding appeal for the second year of the 2013-2015 CAP is US$928 million, and the appeal includes 298 project proposals from a cross-section of 137 UN agencies and non- governmental organizations.
In 2013, the CAP was only half funded at year end. Consequently, fewer people were reached than planned and the implementation of longer-term programmes to shore up resilience was limited. The second year of the three-year CAP has been revised to reflect current needs, the capacity to implement, and the priority to build the resilience of the Somali people. Other priorities include the needs of the returning refugees and very vulnerable displaced people in country. There is also a strengthened focus on protection issues, as the UN and its partners are building up the capacity to address and prevent violations such as gender-based violence, forced recruitment and abuse of children.