SOMALIA

says Jean-Michel Delmotte, UNICEF’s Chief of Field
Office in Mogadishu. “We expect several months of
nutrition and child protection challenges.
“UNICEF partners have been equipped
with appropriate supplies which are already
prepositioned in the 13 districts that are expected to
be affected,” he added.
So far the floods caused by rains inside Somalia
and the Ethiopian highlands have affected 140,000
people in Somalia.
UNICEF put a comprehensive plan in place, which
included the dissemination of flood awareness
messages through radio, the distribution of leaflets
in schools and stabilizing riverbanks with sacks and
sandbags. Hygiene and sanitation kits that had been
prepositioned were distributed and preparations
made to ensure children’s education continues.
“El Niño flooding programmes have started,” says
Abdullahi Jama Hassan, the programmer manager
for UNICEF’s partner, the Somali Public Health
Professional Association.
“We have done mass chlorination of water in three
districts, where we targeted water supply hubs,
shallow wells and water storage tanks in order to
avoid contamination. We have also constructed
new latrines in schools and health facilities.”
Activities to ensure children stay healthy have been
stepped up, including the teaching of home hygiene
skills to mothers and the supply of micronutrient
powder to undernourished children from six
months to two years through the Infant and Young
Child Feeding Programme.
Situation in 2015 Progress in 2015
Nearly 4.7 million
people in need
of humanitarian
assistance
931,000 in crisis
and emergency
145,000 affected
by El Niño floods -
60,000 displaced
Supplies prepositioned
in 10 regional supply
hubs
Supplies to help
400,000
(WASH)
60,000
(nutrition)
35,000
(education)
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