Somalia - Urgent Humanitarian Assistance - ACTED 2016

March 2016 - Somalia has suffered from conflict and insecurity for more than twenty five years and remains vulnerable to the effects of chronic natural disasters such as drought and flooding making it one of the longest running and most severe humanitarian contexts in the world. According to recent United Nations assessments 4.9 million Somalis (about one half of the population) now require humanitarian assistance to survive an increase of more than 60% since the beginning of 2015. Of these over one million people have been internally displaced and more than one million more are living as refugees in neighbouring countries. Widespread hunger high levels of acute malnutrition lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation vulnerability to disease outbreaks and threats to personal safety and security are all characteristics of the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing the Somali population. With GAC’s support the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) is addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of an estimated 11 000 internally displaced persons and other crisis-affected people in and around the town of Kismayo. Project activities include: (1) the provision of conditional (cash for work) or unconditional cash transfers to improve food security and protect livelihoods; and (2) the rehabilitation of safe water and adequate sanitation resources in the target communities.

The expected immediate outcomes of this project include: (1) improved access to food and other necessities for vulnerable families and (2) improved access to safe water and sanitation for target communities. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.