Support to the Somalia Humanitarian Fund - OCHA 2020

March 2020 - The impact of three decades of conflict and insecurity exacerbated by chronic drought and other natural disasters has left Somalia facing widespread food insecurity acute malnutrition and population displacement. In 2020 5.3 million people in Somalia (an estimated 42% of the population) are expected to require humanitarian assistance. At least 1.4 million Somalis primarily women and children are facing acute malnutrition and 2.6 million are now internally displaced. While the political situation in Somalia has been gradually improving households continue to face deeply entrenched needs and remain vulnerable to sudden shocks. With the support of GAC and other donors to the Somalia Humanitarian Fund the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is providing funding to United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to respond to newly emerging crises and shifting/deteriorating humanitarian situations. Project activities include: (1) supporting life-saving activities such as shelter healthcare and protection by filling critical funding gaps; (2) promoting needs-based assistance in accordance with humanitarian principles; (3) strengthening the coordination of humanitarian assistance; (4) improving the relevance and coherence of humanitarian response by strategically funding priorities as identified under the Humanitarian Response Plan; and (5) expanding the delivery of humanitarian assistance in hard-to-reach areas of the country by partnering with local and international non-governmental organizations.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved coordination of the humanitarian response to effectively address priority humanitarian needs; (2) improved timeliness in implementing life-saving activities; (3) increased humanitarian access by partnering more effectively with local humanitarian non-governmental organizations; and (4) increased oversight and monitoring of humanitarian assistance projects in hard-to-reach areas. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.