THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD

Published purpose

July 2011 – Failure of the rains in late 2010 brought harsh drought conditions to most of Somalia and a significant reduction of food security for most of the population. Global acute malnutrition rates are at 16% nationally (above emergency levels) and have surpassed famine thresholds of 30% in a number of regions. The UN reports that 3.7 million people in Somalia, more than half the population, require urgent assistance, as they face drought, conflict and record high food prices. In Somalia, the World Food Programme (WFP) aims to help 2.6 million drought-affected and food insecure people through general food distribution targeting the most vulnerable members of society. In addition, it conducts a targetted supplementary feeding programme to support moderately malnourished children, blanket feeding for young children and pregnant and lactating women, and emergency school feeding to ensure that primary school children have access to food. WFP remains the largest provider of emergency food aid for conflict and drought-affected populations in Somalia. It is one of our largest humanitarian partners with a proven track record for providing food aid in Somalia.