NUTRITION AND HEALTH CONDITIONS IN SOMALIA REQUIRE URGENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 NAIROBI 000326 AIDAC SIPDIS USAID/DCHA FOR SRIECHLE JBRAUSE DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY KCHANNELL APIYAKA DCHA/FFP FOR BISHAM JDWORKEN SANTHONY CMUTAMBA PMOHAN DNELSON AFR/EA STATE FOR AF/E AF/F AND PRM USUN FOR DMERCADO BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN GENEVA FOR NKYLOH ROME FOR HSPANOS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PHUM PREL PREF SO SUBJECT: NUTRITION AND HEALTH CONDITIONS IN SOMALIA REQUIRE URGENT HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE REF: NAIROBI 0224 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Humanitarian agencies continue to express concern over the health and nutrition conditions in Somalia, noting that a humanitarian response focused primarily on food assistance is not enough to mitigate a humanitarian crisis in Somalia. A recent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) presentation indicates that malnutrition and mortality rates in Somalia are among the highest in the world. Augmented and sustained support for programs designed to increase access to safe drinking water, educate women on proper weaning and feeding practices, provide emergency nutrition supplements for children with severe acute malnutrition, provide proper sanitation facilities, and improve access and quality of healthcare are critical to preventing increased malnutrition and mortality rates over the next six months. ¶2. (SBU) The USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) continues to monitor nutrition and health conditions in Somalia and maintains a robust network of U.N. and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners capable of providing life-saving assistance in Somalia. However, USAID/OFDA cannot implement an adequate humanitarian response under current U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC)-related legal restrictions. Emergency food assistance from the USAID Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) is a critical component of the humanitarian response in Somalia, but its effectiveness depends on sustained support to complementary non-food assistance, including health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. Without crucial non-food assistance, food assistance alone can not assist communities with the process of early recovery. End summary. -------------- CURRENT HUMANITARIAN SITUATION -------------- ¶3. (U) On January 29, FSNAU reported that an estimated 3.2 million people will require humanitarian assistance in Somalia between January and June 2010, representing approximately 42 percent of the total estimated population of 7.5 million people and a nine percent decrease since July 2009 (Ref A). Conflict and resulting population displacement could offset food security improvements resulting from an above-normal harvest in south Somalia. In addition, targeted attacks against relief staff have resulted in activity suspension and diminishing access, hindering the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need. An estimated 1.39 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain the largest single population group in crisis, representing 44 percent of the 3.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia, with insecurity continuing to be the primary cause for displacement. NAIROBI 00000326 002 OF 005 ¶4. (U) On January 5, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) announced an indefinite closure of six offices in southern Somalia, citing escalating insecurity, attacks against aid workers, humanitarian staff abductions, and unacceptable demands from al-Shabaab as obstacles to the provision of emergency food assistance. WFP plans to continue working throughout the rest of the country, including in Mogadishu and the Afgoye corridor, where the organization provides food assistance to approximately 1.8 million people. ¶5. (U) Humanitarian agencies note that escalating conflict and the recent WFP suspension are likely to result in increased population movements within Somalia and across international borders in the coming weeks. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has not observed a significant increase in refugee arrivals in Kenya to date in 2010, likely due to the above-normal harvest in southern Somalia and poor road conditions resulting from the recent rains. However, as families deplete food stocks, increased movement is likely. As a result, UNHCR and WFP are developing contingency plans to respond to potential humanitarian needs associated with increased population movements. -------------- ON-GOING NUTRITION CRISIS -------------- ¶6. (U) In November and December 2009, FSNAU and partners completed 38 nutritional surveys, conducted 27 urban site assessments, and collected information from health centers and selective feeding centers in Somalia. The results confirmed a sustained nutrition crisis in the country. According to FSNAU, one in six children in Somalia is acutely malnourished and one in 22 is severely malnourished, with global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates of 16 percent and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) rates of 4.2 percent. While national GAM and SAM rates have declined slightly compared to FSNAU assessment results released in September 2009, malnutrition rates in Somalia remain among the highest in the world. FSNAU credits successful humanitarian interventions in areas of central and northern Somalia, which were designated as critical for nutrition in September 2009, for the decline in overall malnutrition rates. ¶7. (U) Malnutrition rates in areas of south and central Somalia are significantly above national levels. According to FSNAU, one in five children in south and central Somalia is acutely malnourished and one in 20 is severely malnourished, with GAM and SAM rates of 19 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. Among IDP populations, FSNAU reports that one in four children is acutely malnourished. Countrywide, approximately 240,000 children under five years of age are acutely malnourished, of which 63,000 are severely malnourished and at a nine times higher risk of death than well- nourished children. ¶8. (U) According to FSNAU, malnutrition is particularly high in Juba, Gedo, Bakool, Bay, and Hiran regions. Among pastoralists in Juba Region, FSNAU NAIROBI 00000326 003 OF 005 reports GAM and SAM rates of nearly 24 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively, likely associated with frequent disease outbreaks. According to FSNAU, only 5 percent of pastoralists in Juba Region have access to safe drinking water and less than 3 percent have access to adequate sanitation facilities. In Bakool Region and parts of Gedo Region, high malnutrition rates are likely associated with inadequate food access, according to FSNAU. In Bay and Hiran regions, FSNAU reports that nutritional vulnerability is linked to both disease outbreaks and food access. ¶9. (U) FSNAU also found elevated levels of mortality in Somalia. According to survey results, mortality rates are at or above emergency threshold levels in three areas of Somalia. Among pastoral communities in Middle and Lower Juba regions, survey results indicate a crude death rate (CDR) of 2.2 and an under five death rate (U5DR) of 3, significantly above the CDR emergency threshold of one death per 10,000 people per day and the U5DR emergency threshold of two deaths per 10,000 children under five years of age per day. FSNAU reports a 0.9 CDR and a 2 U5DR among pastoralists in central Somalia and a 1.3 CDR and a 2.3 U5DR among IDPs residing in the Afgoye corridor. In all three areas, FSNAU reports that high mortality rates are likely associated with frequent disease outbreaks. -------------- -------------- NON-FOOD AID: A KEY FACTOR IN PREVENTING MALNUTRITION -------------- -------------- ¶10. (U) According to FSNAU, a persistent lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and adequate healthcare are significant contributing factors to sustained high levels of malnutrition. FSNAU reports that 70 percent of the population in Somalia is unable to access safe drinking water, which predisposes the population to diarrhea and subsequently interferes with food absorption. Recent health and nutrition surveys in Somalia confirm that children with illnesses have a 1.55 times greater risk of developing acute malnutrition compared to healthy children, with diarrhea posing the highest risk. ¶11. (U) According to FSNAU, endemic sub-optimal feeding practices in Somalia also contribute to a high incidence of disease and malnutrition rates. FSNAU notes that early cessation of breastfeeding and the increased use of dirty or contaminated bottles, both common practices in Somalia, place children at risk of contracting diarrhea, which can lead to malnutrition. ¶12. (U) Inadequate access to health services further exacerbates humanitarian conditions in Somalia. In September 2009, FSNAU reported that the sufficient provision of adequate and accessible health services is significantly lacking. Where health services are available, many families are unable to access the facilities due to distance, security, or economic constraints, consequently influencing health-seeking practices. According to FSNAU, information from health centers indicates that caregivers often use local healing methods prior to seeking care at a health facility. By the time an individual reaches a health NAIROBI 00000326 004 OF 005 facility, it is often too late to provide adequate treatment. -------------- -------------- HUMANITARIAN IMPLICATIONS OF DELAYED USG FUNDING -------------- -------------- ¶13. (SBU) Sustained support for health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene programs, in combination with improved food access, are critical components of an appropriate humanitarian response in Somalia. However, under OFAC-related legal restrictions, USAID/OFDA has been unable to fund U.N. agencies that have a leading role in addressing humanitarian needs and providing life-saving assistance in fiscal year (FY) 2009 the FY ¶2010. These agencies include the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF),the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO),and FAO/FSNAU, among many others. ¶14. (U) FSNAU was started in 1994 with funding from USAID/OFDA and has received annual USAID/OFDA funding since FY 2000. FSNAU has provided researchers, decision makers, and project implementers working in and on Somalia with vital information on food, nutrition, and livelihood security for the past sixteen years. The critical role FSNAU plays in Somalia cannot be overestimated. FSNAU consistently provides decision- makers in the humanitarian community with timely and appropriate information and analysis of conditions in Somalia. This information enables the humanitarian community to develop early and appropriate responses to developing crises, as well as to develop longer-term strategies for Somalia. ¶15. (U) There is a direct and visible link between the research-based analyses provided by FSNAU, which allow U.N. agencies and NGOs to implement informed and targeted interventions, and the improved nutritional status of vulnerable populations in Somalia. FSNAU relies heavily on USAID/OFDA support. Without USAID/OFDA funding in FY 2010, FSNAU will be forced to significantly scale-back staffing, reporting, and assessments, hampering the ability of the humanitarian community to mitigate deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Somalia. ¶16. (U) UNICEF and WHO also depend on USAID/OFDA funding for much needed health and nutrition programs, including the Child Health Days (CHD) campaign, which provides women and children with critical health services, including vaccinations. Since re-commencing in November 2009, UNICEF and WHO have reached more than 288,000 children under five years of age and more than 296,000 women in Mogadishu through the campaign. The first two CHD campaigns reached approximately 2 million children under five years of age and more than 1.5 million women of child-bearing age. As of February 4, UNICEF had received USD 1.75 million of a requested USD 64 million for FY 2010 to maintain life-saving health and nutrition programs in Somalia. ¶17. (U) USAID/OFDA support has helped WHO maintain disease surveillance systems. In Lower Shabelle Region, WHO is operating 36 sites that provide regular trend monitoring and early detection and response to disease NAIROBI 00000326 005 OF 005 outbreaks. In 2009, WHO and partners responded to over 70 rumored outbreaks within 96 hours of initial reporting. WHO is the only agency that collects and transports outbreak-related samples from Somalia for confirmation in Nairobi or other referral laboratory facilities. WHO has also trained more than 70 workers in delivering health services and effectively managing patients with acute watery diarrhea (AWD). ¶18. (U) Due to improved quality and timeliness of case management, coordination, training of healthcare workers, and the provision of standardized emergency medical supplies, overall AWD case fatality rates in Somalia have steadily declined since 2007. As of February 4, WHO had only received USD 2.4 million of a requested USD 16.6 million for FY 2010 health activities. ¶19. (U) In a February 3 meeting between USAID, including USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP staff, and the Somalia Transitional Federal Government(TFG),the Minister for Higher Education and the Minister of State for Planning and International Cooperation strongly noted that additional skills training, specifically for community health workers and birth attendants, is urgently needed. Not only would the training increase livelihood opportunities for a significant portion of the population, but it would also provide much needed support to the crumbling health system in Somalia. In addition, training opportunities along with other forms of assistance would increase general levels of optimism in the ability of the TFG to provide social services thus increasing reliance on, and lessening the level of confidence in al-Shabaab to provide these same services and support. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶20. (SBU) The FSNAU assessment results indicate that health and nutrition conditions have marginally improved in some areas of Somalia over the past six months. However, a continued WFP suspension in al-Shabab controlled areas, depleted food stocks from the above- average harvest in south Somalia, disease outbreaks, and increased conflict and resulting population displacement could cause humanitarian conditions to rapidly deteriorate. A continued delay of funding to U.N. agencies will have a direct and adverse affect on USAID efforts to respond to the dynamic situation in Somalia. In addition, funding delays will negatively impact U.S. efforts to develop and implement robust contingency plans in response to a potential escalation of humanitarian needs. While food assistance is a critical component in addressing malnutrition, U.S. humanitarian efforts must be complemented with non-food humanitarian assistance in order to be fully effective. Additionally, a comprehensive and effective humanitarian response could play a pivotal role in influencing the ever- changing landscape in Somalia. RANNEBERGER