STORY: UN Humanitarian Appeal for Somalia

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
DATELINE: 2
nd
September 2014, MOGADISHU,
SOMALIA

SHOT LIST

1. Wide shot, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia
(DSRSG) and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Philippe Lazzarini and Rudi
Van Aaken, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Somalia Head of Office, in
conference room
2. Wide shot, DSRSG Philippe Lazzarini and Rudi Van Aaken, FAO Somalia Head of
Office in conference room
3. Wide shot, journalists at the press conference
4. Med shot, journalists at the briefing
5. Med shot, DRSG Philippe Lazzarini and FAO Somalia Head of Office Rudi Van Aaken
6. Close up, Name tag of the FAO Head of office Somalia
7. Soundbite: (ENGLISH): Philippe Lazzarini, the Deputy Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (DSRSG) and UN Humanitarian Coordinator
for Somalia:
Today, we have confirmation of the worsening of the food security, we have now
predicted for few months. Food security is once again a key concern for Somalia, as
we had it before. Over 1 million people in the country face acute food insecurity, up
to 20% compared to 6 months ago. This brings the total number of people in need of
humanitarian assistance or livelihood support to over 3 million people,
8. Wide shot, journalists at the briefing
9. Soundbite: (ENGLISH): Philippe Lazzarini, the Deputy Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General for Somalia (DSRSG) and UN Humanitarian Coordinator
for Somalia:
We have deployed innovative solutions which have allowed the scaling of our
response. Aid organizations started using cargo flights to areas with no road access
last month. But we all know that air access is not the best response, number one, its
highly expensive and number two, it does not allow sustained access to remote
areas in South Central; nothing is a substitute to supply roads.
10. Wide shot, journalists in the briefing room
11. Med shot, DSRSG Philippe Lazzarini and FAO Somalia Head of Office Somalia Rudi
Van Aaken
12. Close up, DSRSG Philippe Lazzarini
13. Close up, name tag of DSRSG Philippe Lazzarini
14. Soundbite: (ENGLISH): Philippe Lazzarini, the Deputy Special Representative of the
UN Secretary-General for Somalia (DSRSG) and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for
Somalia:
Over all this year in terms of response, 1.4 million people have been reached with
food assistance and livelihood support. Half a million people have been supported
with access to safe water and the same number have benefited from primary health
care. In addition, nearly 100,000 acutely malnourished children under five have
been treated in nutrition centers all over the country.

15. Med shot, journalist asking a question
16. Med shot, DSRSG and FAO Head of office Somalia
17. Close up, name tag FAO Head of office Somalia
18. Sound bite, (ENGLISH): Rudi Van Aaken, the Food and Agriculture Organisation
Head of Office (FAO) Somalia:
Until the rains start in October, unless we can deliver a good, solid, humanitarian
assistance, these nutrition and food security figures will worsen further; because
from now, till the rains in October, the situation will worsen.
19. Close up, journalists on video conference in Kenya
20. Wide shot, journalists at the press briefing




STORY

The United Nations is warning that food insecurity in Somalia is worsening, with more than
one million people across the country facing acute food insecurity.

According to the latest assessment by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and
other development partners, the situation has been worsened by delayed and erratic rains,
conflict, trade disruptions and reduced humanitarian assistance.

Internally displaced persons are most at risk, comprising 60 percent of the affected,
followed by rural and urban population at 27 percent and 11 percent at risk respectively.

Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia and UN
Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Philippe Lazzarini, says food security remains a
huge concern for the country.

Today, we have confirmation of the worsening of the food security, we have now predicted
for few months. Food security is once again a key concern for Somalia, as we had it before.
Over 1 million people in the country face acute food insecurity, up to 20% compared to 6
months ago. This brings the total number of people in need of humanitarian assistance or
livelihood support to over 3 million people, he said.

Aid organizations are reaching out to the masses but continue to face major challenges.

We have deployed innovative solutions which have allowed the scaling of our response.
Aid organizations started using cargo flights to areas with no road access last month. But
we all know that air access is not the best response, number one, its highly expensive and
number two, it does not allow a sustained access to remote areas in South Central, nothing
is substitute to supply roads, says DSRSG Philippe Lazzarini

Also at risk are children, with an estimated 218,000 under the age of five acutely
malnourished and facing a high risk of morbidity and death. Aid organizations have
reached out to some of these and thousands of others providing treatment and food aid.


Over all this year in terms of response, 1.4 million people have been reached with food
assistance and livelihood support. Half a million people have been supported with access to
safe water and same number have benefited from primary health care. In addition, nearly
100,000 acutely malnourished children under five have been treated in nutrition centres all
over the country, he adds.

Rudi Van Aaken, FAO Somalia Head of Office says the past rainy season has been poor, with
low harvests and a population now at the mercy of the Deyr rains expected to begin in
October.

Until the rains start in October, unless we can deliver good, solid, humanitarian assistance,
these nutrition and food security figures will worsen further; because from now till the
rains in October, the situation will worsen, he says.

The United Nations in Somalia is appealing for support from the international community,
to avoid a repeat of the 2011 famine, which saw an estimated 260,000 people die as a
result of hunger.

The appeal is for lifesaving humanitarian assistance between now and December 2014, to
help meet immediate food needs, including urgent nutrition and health support for the
acutely malnourished, particularly children.

End.