Save the Children Somalia

Drought rapid needs assessment - Preliminary findings January 2022

METHODOLOGY
BACKGROUND A nationally representative cross-sectional data was
Many households in Somalia already face widening food conducted comprising 15 regions of the 18 regions in
consumption gaps and diminished coping capacity due to the FGS and Somaliland (Awdal, Sool, Sanaag, Waqoyi
current drought. The incidence of food insecurity, acute Galbed, Toghder, Nugaal, Mudug, Karkar, Hiran,
malnutrition among children and outbreak of common Galgaduud, Bakool, Bay, Gedo, Mudug and Lower
diseases has imminently increased. Millions of Somali families Shebelle); 46 districts covering all livelihood zones and
facing deteriorating food consumption have started applying 5.2 million people or 33% of the entire Somali
the hardest coping strategies. A further worsening situation is population across Somalia. This was represented by
expected in the coming months of February - March 2022 randomly and systematically selected 1,770 households
due to the impact of a fourth-consecutive failed or below (HHs).
average rainfall and forecasted “La Nina” climate scenario.
Critical food shortage and loss of income generating activities SAMPLED
is expected.
HHs Interviewed POPULATION
Save the Children Somalia country office has conducted an 1,770HH 7 Average HH Size
in-depth multi-sectoral rapid needs assessment to understand
the current gap and needs of household food security, health, 19% HHs at least 1 child with
nutrition, water, hygiene, education, child protection and a disability
displacement. Female headed households, households with
people with disability, families living in Internally Displaced
Persons (IDP) camps and refugees are expected to be 29% Female Headed HHs
disproportionately affected by the drought.
12,539 Individual
HH members 3,800 under five years of age

605HH Puntland # HHs sampled 432 people who are

221 201
181
139 138 165 142
disabled/have a chronic illness
120
591HH Southern 90 67 74 58 95
59
States
20 427 children currently sick
226 suffering psychological
oq Er L)

N d

ol

M o
Ka ug

alg ug
gd l

sh y
i G vo
ol r

Ba n
M al

d
H r

e
To d a
So he

a
ell
e

574HH Somaliland
uu
ed
ug

ko
(S

rk

er B
ud

G ud
iir
alb
oy iga
Aw

ab

ad
G

stress
w
Lo
W

KEY FIGURES
Faced Severe Food Unable to Access Do Not Have
Number of households facing different Insecurity Enough Food Enough Water
livelihood challenges due to drought in entire
Somalia estimated from the household survey: 244,615 HHs 525,330 HHs 481,818.21 HHs
1,829,056 People 3,939,976 People 3,613,637 People

FOOD ACCESS & AVAILABILITY

§ 70% of the surveyed HHs were not able to access enough food to feed their families and had changed 525,330 HHs across
eating habits over the last 6 months due to drought. This affected nearly 950, children who didn’t Somalia are not able to
have access to food during the last 6 months in Somalia. access food
§ 93% about 9 in every 10 HHs indicated that their food stocks would be depleted in 2 weeks from
the day
§ 32% of assessment.
of Female headed HHs were more likely to face food insecurity compared to male headed HHs at 25%. Similarly, households
living in IDPs and Refugee camps were 48% more likely to experience worst forms of food insecurity
§ 156,925 Female headed and 368,406 male headed households already faced food stress, need immediate support to smooth food
consumption and to safe-lives.
§ 33% of HHs or 244,615 HHs at least one member is going day and night without eating any food due to lack of money to buy food
or no available food from own production. Galgaduud 74%, Gedo 73%, and Hiiran 54% are among most affected regions with food
insecurity.
Copying Strategy
§ 75% of the respondents reported a high coping strategy. Hiran, Galgudud, Mudug and Karkar had over 90% of their HHs employing
harmful coping strategies (skipping/restricting adults from eating/reducing the portion sizes for adults and children).
§ 44% of female headed HHs were consistently employing harmful coping mechanisms compared to male headed households at 38%.
 Reduced Coping Strategies Index
Low Coping Medium Coping High Coping
Barriers to accessing sufficient
food
47%

56%
58%
63%

68%
69%
71%

75%
78%

80%

85%

89%
100%

92%
94%
99%
Increase in prices of food, loss of livelihoods
(livestock), 90% of HHs no longer receiving
the remittances (slowdown of foreign
L)

ol

ll
ug

rk g
l

y
iG o
So er

G iran

al
lle
ed
economies due to COVID19)
da

u
Ba

ra
uu
v

ed

ug
ko
(S
h

ud
e
ud
iga

alb
Aw

ve
gd

ab

ar
ad

G
i

N
H

Ba
ol

M
M
Er

O
To

sh
alg

Ka
oy

er
w
oq

Lo
W

Food Consumption Scores Meals Per day

(FCS)
47% almost half of the households fall in the poor category. Gedo 62% of female headed HHs were
recorded the highest number of households with a poor FCS at 83%. providing children with two or less
meals per day
Food Consumption Score
Poor Borderline Acceptable 52% of male headed HHs were
providing children with only 2 or less
meals per day
57%

45%

44%

54%

75%

30%

55%

39%

46%

83%

10%

12%

52%

59%

35%

47%
15% of HHs reported providing only
one meal per day for children. Adults
ol

ll
sh g
y
iG o
r

were taking even less number of

G iran

al
e
L)

ed

rk g
l
da

he

u
Ba

ra
u
ell
uu
v

ed

ug
ko
(S

ud

ud
oq riga

alb
Aw

ve
gd

ab

ar
ad

G
i

N
H

Ba
ol

meals per day

O
To

alg
So

Ka
oy

er
w
Lo
W

LIVELIHOODS
§ The major livelihood activities include farming and livestock rearing 43%, followed by causal labor in the informal sector 24%,
and small business at 15%.
§ About 60% of the HHs reported at least 1 person in their HH had lost their source of income (majority lost livestock).
Households in Southern states (71%), Puntland (64%), and Somaliland (41%) lost their means of livelihood.
§ Death of livestock was also reported during data collection: 17,087 Camels; 119,607 Goats; 388,303 sheep and 170,867 Cattle
reportedly died during the study.
§ Lower milk production and poor body condition are the major challenges faced for livestock with reduced milk production,
87% reported low or no milk production; less than 1 liter of milk per cow per day. There is also reduced livestock price as
families are attempting to sell out their livestock to avoid the death of livestock due to drought.

MALNUTRITION
§ SCI conducted SMART surveys towards the end of 2021, results indicated below, however since these SMART surveys were
conducted the situation has further deteriorated and it is anticipated worse GAM rates will be released in early 2022.
§ The SMART survey analysis indicated that districts such as Dinsoor (21.3%) are already faced Phase 4 critical situation that
requires immediate action to save lives of children.
§ Middle upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement taken from 774 children under five years of age, indicated that 13.68%
children faced severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 23.35% showed moderate malnutrition (MAM)
§ 34% of children aged 12-23 months old didn't have any vaccinations by the time of the study.
§ AAH (Action Against Hunger) also conducted SMART surveys in Hudur and Elberde which equally had critical levels of
malnutrition.
 HEALTH SERVICES
Diarrhoea Malaria Respiratory
25% 45% 13%
§ 25% about 1 in every 4 HHs had a child who had suffered
diarrhoea 2 weeks prior to the assessment
§ Hirshebelle 65%, Jubaland 54% had the highest rates of malaria.
Diarrhoea was high in Jubaland 54%, Galmudug 49%, Hirshebelle
41%.
§ 71% households have access to a health facility within 5KM from
their homestead and 19% travel more than two hours to reach
the nearest health facility
§ 58% of respondents indicated a family member needed health
service in the past 6 months. When the child got sick 67% seek
health assistance from public health facilities, 15% go to a
traditional healthcare provider or stay at home, 12% private
pharmacies and 6% visited the community health facility.
§ 46% of the women attended Antenatal care during the last
pregnancy and on average attended 3 ANC appointments and
only 15% attended the appropriate number of ANC (4+), this
figure is below the normal ANC attendance, thus, drought has
affected the women's ability to seek health care service.
MIGRATING
WATER ACCESS & AVAILABILITY
§ 65% about 2 in every 3 of HHs reported not
collecting enough water to meet their needs,
average water amount was 9 Litres/person/day,
which is 50% less than the recommended.
§ 50% were relying on unsafe sources of drinking
water and only 11% of HHs were treating their
drinking water before consumption. This was
lowest in Galmudug and Jubaland.
§ Mudug 95%, Woqoyi Galbed 95%, Gedo 80%,
Togdher and Bakool each with 76%, are the regions
most affected by water shortage.
§ 14% indicated that at least one episode and/or at
least a case of either Diarrhoea, Dysentery or
other water related diseases in their HH with more
respondents from Galmudug 36%.
§ The incidence of waterborne common diseases in
the community increased, 45% (52% in Southern
State), 32%, and 13% households, reported children
experienced cough, diarrhea, or respiratory illness,
respectively, in the past three weeks.
Barriers to accessing adequate safe water
Water was generally expensive, the near, available water
was hard water, the usable water was a long distance
away, communities did not have water treatment tablets

33% at a higher risk ACCESS TO EDUCATION

of migrating.
Gedo region at 71% 33% at a higher risk
of eviction. Jubaland
state at 75 %
CHILD PROTECTION CONCERNS
§ Child marriage 21%, neglect 16%, Child labor 15%,
emotional abuse 20% and physical abuse 20% are the major
child protection issues experienced by children during the
drought.
§ Child marriage was mentioned more in Somaliland (48%)
and FGM in Hirshebelle 32% & Galmudug 30%.
§ Further, 61% of children indicated drought related issues
affected their education and worried they might dropout,
55% indicated families might not be able to earn or get
money needed to survive, and 16% indicated families and
friends were concern on the impact of drought.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
§ Education sector is heavily affected by the drought,
16% of the surveyed respondents believe that schools
in the district/community were not functioning
normally since the drought.
§ Regional distribution of school’s disruption due to
drought is highest in Gedo 68%, Hiiran 45%, Sool
33%, and Mudug 20%.
§ 10% of HHs reported schools were closed due to the
drought with school closure due to drought most
observed in Gedo region 39%, Hiiran 37%, Galgaduud
21%, and Bay 19%. As a consequence, 30%
households reported children dropped out of school
as a result of drought. School dropout is high in
Galgaduud 60%, Nugal 55%, and Mudug 44% regions.
§ Children living in female headed households are 43%
more likely to dropout of school compared to
children living in male-headed households.
Children are dropping out of school because families
cannot send hungry children to school and there is no water
in schools. Boys have to take livestock to far places for
feeding.

• To fill the food consumption gap by supporting HHs through cash transfers which were recommended by the respondents.
In addition, to prevent further deterioration of means of livelihood, long-term income generating activities are recommended.
• Water is critically required for both household and livestock consumption as a key assistance indicated by the households.
Clean water is essential to prevent disease outbreak and mitigate against drought related displacement.
• Improve access to live-saving health services, if no interventions are in place more than 175,000 children are at the risk of
dying in the coming months due to malnutrition. Community-based treatment is required as distance to a health facility is the main
barrier in access. To protect the health of mothers and children in supporting the health system it is fundamental to provide the
necessary medication, and health supplies, including setting up mobile health clinics to access the hard-to-reach areas.
• To save livestock distribution of critical medicine for livestock to prevent further deterioration and death of livestock, including
distribution of water for livestock, and fodder distribution; cash transfers will buffer the household income and mitigate the need to
sell livestock during the current low market price.

International and national actors must act now to save lives of millions of children and their families.
Any questions please contact: Mashaka.Lewela@savethechildren.org