Desert Locust Joint Response - Somalia

A locust invasion in Somalia is threatening livelihoods as crops and vegetation for livestock foraging suffer extensive damage. According to the Somaliland National Disaster Preparedness and Food Reserve Authority (NADFOR) localized damage has been observed in Somaliland, where locusts have occupied a total of 100,000ha of Somaliland’s coastal region including Woqooyi Galbeed. This has affected1,087,264 people, of which 22,853 are in IDPs camps. SC has observed the impact of the locust invasion to be most severe in Hargeisa Maroodijeh with 8,000ha of rangeland and 3,000ha of crop land damaged. In addition, Agabar and Arbasiyo villages in Gabiley districts have also been hard-hit with 1,000ha of damaged land. The Woqooyi Galbeed region was already characterized by significant food security gaps which is exacerbated by the desert locust crisis. According to the FSNAU technical release 153,000 people are food insecure (IPC 3 or 4) including 12,054 in Gabiley district and 139,134 in Hargeisa district. An SC survey showed that pastoralists are skipping meals or selling their remaining livestock for low prices to purchase food. There is also an increasing trend of labor migration at the critical time of Gu seasonal preparation. Only few actors respond to the locust crisis in this area including SOS and World Vision. Response gaps affirmed by the Food Security Cluster (FSC) monthly dashboard show 150,000 people need urgent Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) support to protect access to food security. These include IDPs and pastoralists who have lost their livestock and have less than 6 goats. In addition to the locust crisis, Somalia is also at risk of an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Somalia reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on 16th March 2020 and currently has 60 recorded cases including 5 in Somaliland and 2 in Woqooyi Galbeed. Given the rapid pace of the virus and lack of access to testing kits, there are concerns that the number of cases will rise rapidly.