Somalia

After back-to-back droughts in the Horn of Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) is expanding its assistance as levels of hunger soar. Since the start of the year, 9 million more people have slipped into severe food insecurity across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

A United Nations-chartered vessel carrying the first shipment of humanitarian food under the Black Sea Grain Initiative is expected to berth soon at Ukraine’s Yuzhny (Pivdennyi) port to collect Ukrainian wheat purchased by the World Food Programme in support of the drought-stricken Horn of Africa where there is risk of famine.

The Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia considered the recommendations contained in the comprehensive midterm update of the Panel of Experts on Somalia during its informal consultations on 3 June 2022.

In Senegal, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UN-Women and United Nations Population Fund are helping national authorities tackle the effects of fuel and food price hikes due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and climate change, with a joint programme benefiting over 14,000 food-insecure households in eight regions.

Senior humanitarian directors of United Nations agencies and partners wrapped up a visit yesterday to Somalia where the threat of famine looms, with more than seven million people already acutely food insecure. Assistance has reached over four million drought-affected people, but aid workers face severe funding shortfalls.

In Sri Lanka, the World Food Programme (WFP) today said that 3 in 10 households are food insecure, according to its latest food security assessment.  Food inflation is alarmingly high.  This month there was a 57 per cent increase in food prices, which has crippled the population’s ability to put food on the table.

Members of the Security Council’s committee on the sanctions regime for Somalia are of the view that the successful conclusion of presidential elections presents a renewed opportunity to cooperate and collaborate with that country’s Government on important issues which fall under that committee’s remit, the Chair of the subsidiary body told the Council today.

On 3 June 2022, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia (“the Committee”) held informal consultations to hear a briefing by the Panel of Experts on Somalia on its comprehensive midterm update, covering the period from 16 December 2021 to 27 April 2022, and submitted pursuant to paragraph 41 of resolution 2607 (2021).

On 31 May 2022, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia updated its Implementation Assistance Notice (IAN) 2: “Summary of procedural approvals and notification requirements related to the partial lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia”.

In Niger, the situation remains tense in the Tillaberi region along the border with Burkina Faso following several clashes.  Since 1 May, 51 civilians have been killed.  The United Nations and its partners are working to increase access to the affected border areas, with food security likely to worsen.