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As famine spreads action urgently needed

Immediate support vital






Saving livelihoods

Continued efforts to implement an immediate, large-scale, and comprehensive response are needed, FAO said. In Somalia, 3.7 million people are in crisis, with 3.2 million people in need of immediate, lifesaving assistance (2.8 million in the south).

FAO is seeking funds to protect the most vulnerable households in Somalia with a mix of interventions designed to save lives and livelihoods in the short-term and build food security over the longer haul.

Short-term measures include seeds, inputs and tools distributions for the October Deyr planting season, support to animal health through provision of drugs, vaccines and training, and food-for-work programmes and cash transfers.

Building resilience

Longer-term measures, designed to build greater resilience to drought and climate change include the development of drought-resistant seeds, the improvement of dryland crop and livestock production systems, development of irrigation infrastructure, improved storage and more effective water and pasture management.

FAO noted that it has been working effectively in the areas most affected by the current crisis, including Somalia where other organizations and agencies have faced severe restrictions in access.

The crisis in the Horn of Africa is the most severe food security emergency in the world today. Thousands of people have died since its onset, following a complete failure of seasonal rainfall in October-December 2010.

The situation has been exacerbated by protracted conflicts that over time have forced millions of people to flee their homes, abandoning land, livestock and other productive assets.

Photo: ©AFP Photo/Mustafa Abdi
Millions of Somalis need assistance

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