Multi-sectoral Response To Triple Threat Food insecurity is expected to worsen in 2021 across Somalia – particularly in our target regions of Sool, Sanaag, Bari and Nugal - driven by below-average rainfall and a worsening desert locust infestation. According to the post-Deyr seasonal food security and nutrition assessment by FSNAU-FEWS Net (Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit – Famine Early Warning Systems Network), up to 2.7million people across Somalia are expected to face food consumption gaps or depletion of livelihood assets indicative of Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse outcomes through mid-2021 in the absence of humanitarian assistance. This constitutes a stark increase compared to the findings from last year’s Ppost-Deyyr assessment: the number of people predicted to be in IPC Phase 3 or worse has doubled over the course of only one year – from 1.3 in 2020 to 2.7 million in 2021. Approximately 1.6 million people face phase (3) “Crisis” or worse outcomes in the presence of planned and likely humanitarian assistance during the January-March 2021 period. An additional 2.9 million people are expected to be under food stress, bringing the total number of people facing acute food insecurity to 5.6 million.

The price of water in the local market has more than doubled in between October2020 and March 2021. According to Oxfam’s own market assessment in Eastern Somaliland (Sool and Sanaag), one barrel of water is currently being sold at an average of 4.5 USD per barrel, with some villages reporting over 7 USD per barrel. This is forcing the most vulnerable households to travel long distances to fetch water and/or opt for poor water quality and risk their lives. The most affected communities include IDPs and low-income hostcommunities.

Women and girls are at high risk of harassment, rape and attacks by wild animals as they travel far in search of water for their families, as also highlighted by Oxfam Somalia’s most recent gender analyses conducted in late 2020 in Somaliland and Puntland. Sexual violence and other forms of gender-basedviolence are widespread and remained under reported; victims/survivors becomesubject to stigmatization and secondary victimization. GBV and VAW (Violence against Women) increased after coronavirus as a resultof economic stress. Women’s responsibilitiesathousehold level became more demanding. There is a heavy dependence on the men of the family for the protection of the women and girls.

Furthermore, Somalia is being affected badly by the third wave of COVID-19. An average of 16-19% of people testedarecurrently positive. As of 19 March 2021, over 9,600 cases with 392 fatalities have been reported by the Somalia Ministry of Health and WHO. Given the low capacity of testing and stigmatization in Somalia, it is suspected that thecaseload might be much higher than the reported numbers.

Somalia has the fourth largest population of internally displaced people in the world, driven by protracted and cyclical conflict and insecurity, and drought and floods. Many IDPs and urban poor live in congested conditions with inadequate access to basic services and public health. Rapid urbanization has seen some IDPs move from ruralareas to cities in search of shelter, protection and humanitarian assistance, with cities struggling to cope with the needs of bothurban poor and internally displaced populations whose squalid, congested living conditions heighten COVID-19 risks. Forced evictionof IDPs from homes or land which they occupy against their will and without legal protection is both a cause and multiplierof displacement.
Droughts, locust and the socioeconomic and health impacts of COVID-19 are expected to remain until 2022-2023, further weakening the coping capacity of communities unless the underlying causes of these vulnerabilities are addressed. Thisprojectis aimed to tackle the triple crises and contribute to saving lives and restoring livelihoods via integrated WASH-, EFSVL- and protection programming