(RW) - Somalia: Drought Response - Situation Report No. 9 (as of 23 May 2017)
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Highlights
- FAO Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) reports that heavy rainfall and flooding along the middle and lower reaches of Shabelle River have destroyed crop land and houses, resulting in the displacement of some households in Mahaday Jowhar and Cali Fool Dheere districts.
- Following a spike in suspected cases of measles in the IDP settlements and drought-affected villages in Mudug region, UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Health began a five-day measles vaccination campaign on 13 May, targeting 110,000 children under age 5 in north Gaalkacyo and Galdogob districts, Mudug region.
- The Education cluster estimates that 40 per cent (270,000) of the 683,000 people displaced by the drought in Somalia are children between 5-18 years old.
- Health partners have registered 672 cases of measles in Hiraan region in 2017; almost six times higher than the cases (107) reported for 2016.
Situation Overview
The FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Units (FSNAU) warns of an elevated risk of famine (IPC Phase 5) due to severe food consumption gaps, high acute malnutrition, high disease burden and a reliance on food aid. Approximately 2,510,000 people will be in Crisis and 700,000 in Emergency levels of food insecurity by June.
The number of cases of suspected measles have been increasing for the past seven weeks in Beletweyne district and surrounding areas. Some 102 measles cases -majority being children under age 5- have been reported in Belet Weyne and Matabaan districts in the last five weeks. A total of 672 cases have been registered in Hiraan region since the beginning of the year; almost six times higher than the cases (107) reported for all last year. Two children severely affected and blinded by measles were brought to a health facility in Beletweyne town this week. A total of 7,694 measles cases have been reported countrywide since January 2017. A measles vaccination campaign targeting 125,000 IDP children has been launched in Banadir and Afgoye districts.
Health partners report a decrease in the number of new AWD/ cholera cases and deaths reported from 3,475 cases/ 43 deaths in week 17 to 2,691 cases/ 22 deaths recorded in week 18. The Case Fatality Rate has been brought down from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent in the past two weeks, but is still far above the 1 per cent emergency threshold.
Some 40,402 cholera cases and almost 683 deaths reported have been reported in Somalia since January.
The current drought has more than doubled the number of children admitted to the nutritional centres in Baidoa and Kismayo compared to the same period last year. There has been an 80 per cent increase in the number of malnourished children treated at the two centres and clinics compared to last year. Some 230 children under the age 5 are currently admitted at Baidoa hospital. The hospital, which has a bed capacity of 150 has seen a 53 per cent increase in the number of admissions; which is 50 more admissions compared to same time last year.
According to the UNHCR-led Protection and Return Monitoring Network, 683,000 people have been displaced by the drought since November 2016. The Education Cluster is estimating that 270,000 of the displaced people are children between age 5 and 18. The significant increase in displacement is putting additional pressure on the already strained education system in the urban areas. There is need to increase the capacity of existing public schools to allow for displaced children to enroll as well as establishing temporary learning spaces in new IDP settlements where there are no public schools nearby.
The rainfall forecast issued on 19 May by SWALIM, points towards heavy rains in Nugaal, South of Sool and north of Mudug regions for the coming week. Other regions in the north will receive light to moderate rains. The upper parts of Ethiopian highlands and southern coastal areas of Somalia are expected to receive moderate rains. Little or no rains are expected in central and inland southern regions of the country during the coming week.
Flooding in Middle Shabelle region has caused damage to large amounts of crop area and displacement of some households in Mahadey, Jowhar and Balcad districts. There is no risk of flooding foreseen along the Juba during the forecast period. The forecast, observed river levels and rainfall amounts are updated on a daily basis and can be found in this link: http://systems.faoso.net/frrims/
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The number of cases of suspected measles have been increasing for the past seven weeks in Beletweyne district and surrounding areas. Some 102 measles cases -majority being children under age 5- have been reported in Belet Weyne and Matabaan districts in the last five weeks. A total of 672 cases have been registered in Hiraan region since the beginning of the year; almost six times higher than the cases (107) reported for all last year. Two children severely affected and blinded by measles were brought to a health facility in Beletweyne town this week. A total of 7,694 measles cases have been reported countrywide since January 2017. A measles vaccination campaign targeting 125,000 IDP children has been launched in Banadir and Afgoye districts.
Health partners report a decrease in the number of new AWD/ cholera cases and deaths reported from 3,475 cases/ 43 deaths in week 17 to 2,691 cases/ 22 deaths recorded in week 18. The Case Fatality Rate has been brought down from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent in the past two weeks, but is still far above the 1 per cent emergency threshold.
Some 40,402 cholera cases and almost 683 deaths reported have been reported in Somalia since January.
The current drought has more than doubled the number of children admitted to the nutritional centres in Baidoa and Kismayo compared to the same period last year. There has been an 80 per cent increase in the number of malnourished children treated at the two centres and clinics compared to last year. Some 230 children under the age 5 are currently admitted at Baidoa hospital. The hospital, which has a bed capacity of 150 has seen a 53 per cent increase in the number of admissions; which is 50 more admissions compared to same time last year.
According to the UNHCR-led Protection and Return Monitoring Network, 683,000 people have been displaced by the drought since November 2016. The Education Cluster is estimating that 270,000 of the displaced people are children between age 5 and 18. The significant increase in displacement is putting additional pressure on the already strained education system in the urban areas. There is need to increase the capacity of existing public schools to allow for displaced children to enroll as well as establishing temporary learning spaces in new IDP settlements where there are no public schools nearby.
The rainfall forecast issued on 19 May by SWALIM, points towards heavy rains in Nugaal, South of Sool and north of Mudug regions for the coming week. Other regions in the north will receive light to moderate rains. The upper parts of Ethiopian highlands and southern coastal areas of Somalia are expected to receive moderate rains. Little or no rains are expected in central and inland southern regions of the country during the coming week.
Flooding in Middle Shabelle region has caused damage to large amounts of crop area and displacement of some households in Mahadey, Jowhar and Balcad districts. There is no risk of flooding foreseen along the Juba during the forecast period. The forecast, observed river levels and rainfall amounts are updated on a daily basis and can be found in this link: http://systems.faoso.net/frrims/
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