Development & Peace – Caritas Canada and Trocaire Somalia are partnering on an emergency nutrition project in Gedo Region, Somalia.
In Somalia, the total acute malnutrition burden is projected to increase to 1.8 million children aged 6-59 months, including 479,000 children likely to be severely malnourished. In Gedo, the situation is particularly concerning, with an 8.8% prevalence of acute malnutrition, indicating severe nutritional stress. Dollow district bears the highest caseload with 16,240 cases (3,770 Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), 12,470 Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM)), followed by Balad-hawa (11,620), Garbaharey (10,770), and Luuq (10,520). Affected groups include rural pastoral, agropastoral, riverine communities, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) especially in Dollow and Garbaharey where high morbidity and limited services contribute to persistent IPC 3 – 4 malnutrition outcomes.
The primary drivers of acute malnutrition in Gedo include reduced household access to food and milk, disease outbreaks such as cholera and acute watery diarrhea, limited health and nutrition services, poor sanitation, and projected declines in humanitarian assistance due to funding constraints. This dual vulnerability to both food insecurity and malnutrition underscores the urgent need for continued support and targeted interventions in Gedo and similar highburden regions.
The project will deliver emergency nutrition services through a full Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition package, including stabilization centres, outpatient therapeutic program, and targeted supplementary feeding program and community outreach.
The project will reach 10,026 people including boys and girls, male and female care givers and pregnant and breastfeeding women.