ReliefWeb

METHODOLOGY

In order to assess the impact of the poor Gu rains, ACTED conducted a rapid drought assessment in June 2019, in hard to reach areas across Somalia.

The assessment used two key methodological approaches. Key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with notable figures within communities, including camp leaders and community elders. Further, single-sex focus group discussions were held with community members to triangulate initial findings, and ensure representation from all those affected. Where possible, two FGDs (men and women) and two KIIs were conducted in each site, however, this was dependent on access and resource availability. Data was collected over a two-week period by ACTED staff.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

• ACTED recommends undertaking a targeted food security intervention to assist the 320,000 people in crisis and emergency phases of acute food insecurity (IPC 3 and 4) in the assessed areas.

• Water asset rehabilitation should be conducted in order to reduce the high number of households reliant on unprotected and unsafe water sources.

• Construction of gender-disaggregated latrines and soap distribution to improve sanitation.

• Distributions of jerry cans so as to ensure households can practice water treatment and storage to reduce risk of illness and disease.

• Lack of livelihood opportunities compounded with high levels of debt have resulted in low functioning markets whereby key nutrition sources such as fruit, vegetables and meat are widely unavailable due to lack of purchase power. As such, livelihood activities should be considered, including short term opportunities to link unskilled components of identified construction needs to cash for work opportunities for households with acceptable food consumption scores (e.g. latrines, water asset rehabilitation).

• For households with lower FCSs, unconditional cash opportunities should be considered instead in line with a do-no-harm approach.