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Somalia: Nutrition Cluster Monthly Update (October 2021)

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Somalia
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Nutrition Cluster
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Current Nutrition Situation

The median Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) prevalence has remained Serious (10–14.9%) for the past consecutive seasons (11.1 Post Gu’ 2021, 11.8 Post Deyr 2020/2021, 11.8 in Gu 2020 and 13.1% in 2019/20 Deyr). Based on results of the 2021 Post Gu assessment an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five years (total acute malnutrition burden) face acute malnutrition between August 2021 and July 2022, including 213 400 likely to be severely malnourished.
Some of the aggravating factors are reported to be prolonged drought, and conflicts that contributed to increase the vulnerabilities and continued to be the predominant predisposing factors to malnutrition. In addition, limited access to and high prices of food, water shortages, limited access to basic services like primary healthcare, immunization, vitamin A supplementation, sub-optimal feeding practices and childcare, and safe drinking water & sanitation that increase in the prevalence of acute watery diarrhea were also some risk factors for malnutrition.
As of 31st October 2021, the nutrition cluster partners reached 483,720 boys and 412,057 girls aged 06-59 months and 224,209 Pregnant and Lactating Women with nutrition treatment and prevention services covering 79% of HRP targets. Of which 203,804 are severely acute malnourished children, 488,774 moderately acute malnourished children, and 153,440 are Moderately malnourished PLW admitted into the nutrition facilities while 273,968 children under 2 years and pregnant and lactating women received Blanket supplementary Feeding services as part of the malnutrition prevention intervention. To improve the nutrition situation, integrated programming, and linkages to (WASH, Health and FSL) are needed and through early action and preventive interventions to the high-risk groups in order to address the situation effectively.