Somalia is currently facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history that have left millions of people at risk of starvation. An unprecedented drought crisis follows five historic consecutive failed rainy seasons and has caused food shortages and malnutrition in several regions of the country. 6.5 million people are currently facing acute food insecurity, and 1.4 million people are displaced in search of essential resources like water, food, and pasture.
The impact of this crisis is devastating, especially for children. Countless families are struggling to provide their kids with basic necessities, and almost 2 million children under 5 face acute malnutrition. Without any immediate treatment, they are at risk of suffering permanent physical and mental damage.
#MissionOfHope Somalia & Najmo’s story
This is where MOAS and its partners Edesia Nutrition and International Medical Corps (IMC) have stepped in to provide much-needed relief to affected communities. Since 2020, MOAS has been working to combat malnutrition in Somalia through the provision of life-saving therapeutic food and last year alone, MOAS succeeded in delivering 40 tonnes of Plumpy Nut, a therapeutic food which is crucial in combatting malnutrition in children and is desperately needed in the region.
One of the success stories of MOAS’ work in Somalia is the story of Najmo, a 12-month-old girl living in Makudo’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp near the IMC-supported Sefdheer Health Center. Najmo and her family were forced to leave their home last year and move to the Makudo IDP Camp after the current drought affected her family’s livelihood. During a routine community health visit to the Camp, Najmo was found to be likely suffering from acute malnutrition by community health worker. She was then referred to the IMC-supported Sefdheer Mobile Team Center for further assessment and treatment, where she was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) without medical complications and admitted to the outpatient therapeutic program (OTP).
Successful recovery
Over the course of eight weeks, Najmo received close monitoring and weekly supplies of ready-to-use therapeutic food at the Sefdheer Health Center. Gradually, she began showing signs of improvement, and she was discharged from the program after meeting the required criteria for SAM. This meant that she was now ready to begin her treatment for moderate acute malnutrition (NAM), and she was then transferred to the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP).
Najmo’s successful recovery is a testament to the impact of MOAS’ work in Somalia, and Najmo’s mother expressed her joy and gratitude, and she prays that her daughter continues to grow stronger and healthy each day. “When my daughter suffered from severe wasting, I was afraid for her, but now she is doing much better. I am happy, especially when I see her playing with other children. I am thankful for the support given to my daughter during her recovery. Now she has gained her strength, and I pray that she continues to grow healthy each day,” she shared.
Combatting malnutrition and disease outbreaks
With a fifth consecutive failed rainy season forecast, the situation in Somalia is predicted to deteriorate even further, and the need for urgent action has never been greater. The work of MOAS and its partners in Somalia is making a real difference, but there is still much more to be done to alleviate the suffering of affected communities and address this catastrophic food crisis. The provision of life-saving therapeutic food, combined with other essential supplies such as safe drinking water and proper sanitation is crucial in combatting malnutrition and disease outbreaks. MOAS and its partners remain committed to continuing their work in Somalia, but they need the support to continue to make a lasting impact.
If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate.
