Mogadishu, 27 May 2024 - The Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has allocated US$2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for an urgent response to the cholera outbreak in Somalia. According to the World Health Organization, more than 10,000 cases and 120 deaths have been reported in seven states across the country since January.

The residual effects of the historic drought during the 3-year La Niña event in 2023, combined with the impacts of the once-in-a-century floods induced by El Niño earlier this year, have fueled outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea and cholera in Somalia. In addition, the current Gu (April to June) seasonal rains and flash floods are expected to affect at least 770,000 people by the time the season ends. Damage to water sources, and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities is exacerbating the acute watery diarrhea and cholera outbreaks.

This CERF allocation is supporting United Nations agencies and their partners to provide lifesaving assistance to 60,000 people, providing critical health, water, sanitation and hygiene response in Puntland and Central Southern states. It will not only save lives, but also mitigate the further spread of cholera to surrounding communities in Somalia.

Nearly halfway through 2024, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Somalia, which requires US$1.6 billion to respond to the needs of 5.2 million people, is only 20 per cent funded.

More funding is urgently needed to meet the current and rising needs due to climate shocks and other factors.

For more information, please contact

Karen Smith, Head of Humanitarian Financing Unit, smith3@un.org, Cell +252(0)612922133.

Yao Chen, Communication Officer, yao.chen@un.org, Cell +254 732391050.

OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or https://reliefweb.int/