Food Security Summary:

Over 3.2 million people (43 percent of Somalia's population) in urban centers, rural areas, and IDP camps require emergency assistance and livelihood support through June 2009.

An estimated 200,000 children under 5 years of age are acutely malnourished, of which 60,000 are severely malnourished and are at risk of death if they do not receive the appropriate specialist care. These figures are derived from recent FSAU nutrition surveys and translate to one in six children being acutely malnourished and one in twenty being severely malnourished.

Due to increased armed conflict, political tensions, civil insecurity, and high food prices, large scale population migration, both internally and towards neighboring countries, is ongoing.

The poor deyr rains or (October to December) led to another poor harvest and a significant cereal shortfall. In pastoral areas, dwindling rangeland resources continue to affect livestock conditions, productivity, and values, especially in drought-affected central regions.

A La Nina, a weather phenomenon associated with poor rains, has been confirmed this year will likely affect the performance of the gu season (April-June), the country's main rainy season.

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