Business Brief: Somalia Humanitarian Response - Humanitarian Overview and Call to Action (March 2023) [EN/AR/SO]

OVERVIEW OF THE CRISIS

The main drivers of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia – prolonged drought, conflict, high food and water prices, and disease outbreaks – continue unabated, their combined impact pushing an ever-greater number of people into reliance on external humanitarian assistance.

The current drought has surpassed the 2010–2011 and 2016–2017 droughts in duration, severity, and impact, exacerbating growing humanitarian needs. The combined impact of the drought, widespread insecurity, and increasing economic pressures are driving the country to the brink of catastrophe. Not only are there more people in need, but the severity of those needs is much more pronounced.

In 2023, an estimated 8.25 million people, nearly half of Somalia’s population, will need immediate lifesaving humanitarian and protection assistance. At the same time, immediate responses to save lives and avert famine must be accompanied by investments in long-term solutions and climate adaptation to ensure those affected can adapt and thrive in the future. The number of people affected by the drought has more than doubled since the beginning of 2022, affecting nearly half of Somalia’s population. Displacement has increased threefold since early 2022, with more than 1.4 million people displaced due to the drought alone. The people affected by the prolonged drought in Somalia are the human face of the climate emergency. After the 2011 famine, the world said never again. If we want to honor that promise in 2023, there is no time to ¬lose, all stakeholders need to work together.