Skip to main content

Somalia

Presence country
Somalia
Somalia flag
Key Message Update
January 2024
Deyr harvest improves food availability, though crop production is below average
  • Main season deyr harvesting started in January in most areas, boosting market and household food stocks. However, according to crop data collected by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) during the annual 2023/24 post-deyr seasonal assessment, main season cereal production across southern Somalia is projected to be 34 percent below the long-term average (1995-2022) and 14 percent below the five-year average. This is mainly due to the impacts of severe flooding during the October to December deyr rainy season, which affected over 50 percent of cropping land. In the badly affected Hiiraan and Gedo regions, 6,000 hectares and 2,250 hectares of standing crops, respectively, were destroyed. Most of the irrigated farms (80-95 percent), including citrus fruit farms in Gedo and Middle Shabelle regions, were also damaged due to prolonged submersion. 
  • On the other hand, flooding provided ample moisture to support off-season deyr cultivation in southern riverine and lowland agropastoral areas, which began in mid-December with the gradual recession of floodwaters. Off-season crop production is expected to be above average given the atypical flooding extent, though the total (main and off-season) deyr harvest will remain 13 percent below the long-term average. The primary off-season crops cultivated are sesame and maize intercropped with cowpea. As of January, the crops have reached development stages of growth. Harvesting of off-season cash crops (cowpea, sesame, groundnuts, onions and other vegetables) is expected to start in late February, with the off-season cereal harvest to follow in March and early April. This will increase access to food and income for households who were able to cultivate.
  • In the key reference markets of southern Somalia, retail prices of locally produced cereals (maize and sorghum) were mostly stable between December and January at levels slightly lower than the same time last year. However, prices generally remain above the five-year average, at least partially due to significantly below-average deyr crop production. By April, anticipated above-average deyr off-season harvests are expected to improve domestic cereal supply and reduce staple food prices. Meanwhile, retail prices of imported red rice in key reference markets of the central and northern regions also remained stable from December to January, though prices range from 5 to 20 percent higher than at the same time last year and 27 to 36 percent above the five-year average. Above-average prices are being driven by sustained high global rice prices and increasing fuel and freight costs. Prices are anticipated to continue trending above the five-year average through at least May 2024. 
  • Pastoral and agropastoral households continue to contend with the lasting impacts of the 2020-2023 drought – including below-average livestock holdings and atypically early depletion of 2023 gu food stocks – exacerbated by severe impacts of recent flooding on livelihoods and crop production in southern riverine and low-lying agropastoral areas. In areas worst affected by flooding, minimal to no main season deyr crop production is likely in January, preventing farming households from accessing a key seasonal source of food and income. Reduced access to typically important food and income from crop and livestock production is driving Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes in worst drought- and flood-affected areas. 
  • Through May 2024, a general trend of improvement in food security outcomes is expected across most of Somalia due to several key seasonal factors, including: the main-season deyr harvest in January, the off-season deyr harvest in some areas in March/April, declining food prices following the deyr harvest, social support during the holy month of Ramadan in March/April, and improvements in agricultural labor opportunities and income-earning and livestock production and reproduction during the gu rainy season beginning in April. Despite some improvement, Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are expected to persist in several rural areas, and IDP settlements will continue to face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes given severely eroded assets and livelihoods amid anticipated further assistance scale-down. Additional displacement is expected in southern areas in April and May due to flooding during the gu rainy season.
  • Households continue to experience displacement due to the impacts of recent conflict and flooding and the lasting impacts of the historic 2020-2023 drought. From December 10 to January 6, the IOM recorded nearly 45,000 new arrivals in southern Somalia. With limited access to income-generating activities and minimal productive assets, IDPs are heavily reliant on humanitarian food assistance. However, the provision of food assistance continues to be scaled down both at the national level and among IDPs despite their high levels of need. On average in the October to December 2023 period, 15 percent of registered IDPs were reached with monthly assistance, down from 19 percent in the July to September period, according to data from the Food Security Cluster. According to UNOCHA, there are approximately 3.86 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia as of January 2024.
Read the full analysis
Latest Analysis Latest Analysis
View all Somalia Analysis
Food Security
Food Security Outlook Update Flood-affected riverine areas face Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes Somalia December 2023
Key Message Update Severe river and flash floods likely to reduce deyr harvests in January 2024 Somalia November 2023
Food Security Outlook Deyr flooding drives elevated needs, though rain will aid drought recovery Somalia October 2023 - May 2024
Agroclimatology
Seasonal Monitor Rainfall subsides in late November, reducing flood risk and enabling recessional cultivation in southern Somalia Somalia December 14, 2023
Seasonal Monitor Flooding in southern and central Somalia due to heavy deyr rainfall and high river levels Somalia November 15, 2023
Seasonal Monitor Somalia experiences an early-to-timely onset of the secondary deyr rains in October Somalia October 1, 2023
Markets & Trade
Price Bulletin Somalia Livestock Price Bulletin Somalia February 2024
Price Bulletin Somalia Price Bulletin Somalia February 2024
Price Bulletin Somalia Price Bulletin Somalia January 2024
Alerts / Special Reports
No reports available.
Food Security
Food Security Outlook Update Flood-affected riverine areas face Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes Somalia December 2023
Key Message Update Severe river and flash floods likely to reduce deyr harvests in January 2024 Somalia November 2023
Food Security Outlook Deyr flooding drives elevated needs, though rain will aid drought recovery Somalia October 2023 - May 2024
Agroclimatology
Seasonal Monitor Rainfall subsides in late November, reducing flood risk and enabling recessional cultivation in southern Somalia Somalia December 14, 2023
Seasonal Monitor Flooding in southern and central Somalia due to heavy deyr rainfall and high river levels Somalia November 15, 2023
Seasonal Monitor Somalia experiences an early-to-timely onset of the secondary deyr rains in October Somalia October 1, 2023
Markets & Trade
Price Bulletin Somalia Livestock Price Bulletin Somalia February 2024
Price Bulletin Somalia Price Bulletin Somalia February 2024
Price Bulletin Somalia Price Bulletin Somalia January 2024
Alerts / Special Reports
No reports available.
Food Security Classification Data View all Somalia classification data
Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification (January 2024 - May 2024)

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (January 2024) and medium term (February 2024 - May 2024) periods.

Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile January 2024 (.zip) (ZIP) Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification January 2024 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: January 2024 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: February 2024 - May 2024 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: January 2024 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: February 2024 - May 2024 (.kml) (KML)
Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification (December 2023 - May 2024)

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (December 2023 - January 2024) and medium term (February 2024 - May 2024) periods.

Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile December 2023 (.zip) (ZIP) Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification December 2023 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Near Term Projection: December 2023 - January 2024 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: February 2024 - May 2024 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: December 2023 - January 2024 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: February 2024 - May 2024 (.kml) (KML)
Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification (February 2023 - September 2023)

Current (February 2023) food security outcomes and forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (February 2023 - May 2023) and medium term (June 2023 - September 2023) periods.

Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile February 2023 (.zip) (ZIP) Somalia Acute Food Insecurity Classification February 2023 (.geojson) (GeoJSON) Current Situation: February 2023 (.png) (PNG) Near Term Projection: February 2023 - May 2023 (.png) (PNG) Medium Term Projection: June 2023 - September 2023 (.png) (PNG) Current Situation: February 2023 (.kml) (KML) Near Term Projection: February 2023 - May 2023 (.kml) (KML) Medium Term Projection: June 2023 - September 2023 (.kml) (KML)
Seasonal Calendar Seasonal Calendar
Description

The Seasonal Calendar shows the annual and cyclical patterns of key food and income sources in a country throughout the typical year.

Somalia Seasonal Calendar
Production and Trade Flow Maps
FEWS NET captures the market networks for a product in a given country or region, including their catchments and trade flow patterns.
Sheep, Normal Year Sesame, Normal Year Camels, Normal Year Sorghum, Normal Year Rice, Normal Year Goats, Normal Year Maize, Normal Year Cowpeas, Normal Year Cattle, Normal Year Maize, Season 1 Maize, Season 2 Sorghum, Season 1 Sorghum, Season 2
Remote Sensing Imagery Remote Sensing Imagery
Description

USGS-provided data and imagery supports FEWS NET's monitoring efforts of weather and climate throughout the world.

View all remote sensing imagery
Livelihood Zone Resources Livelihood Zone Resources
Northwest Agro Pastoral Profile August 2011 Somalia Rural Baseline Profiles 2009 Somalia Rural Baseline Profiles 2011 Addun Pastoral Baseline Report June 2011 Bosasso Urban Livelihood Baseline Study, November 2011 Galkayo Urban Baseline Report, November 2011 Hawd Baseline Report August-2011 Nugal Pastoral Baseline Report September-2011 Sool Baseline Report August-2011 Togdher Agropastoral BaseLine Report April-2001 Somalia Rural Baseline Profiles 2000-2001 Somalia Hargeisa Urban Baseline 2003 Baidoa Urban baseline analysis report 2009 Bay and Bakool baseline analysis report 2009 Somalia Typical Hunger Seasons, Month by Month Somalia Livelihood Zones Map
Get the latest food security updates in your inbox Sign up for emails

The information provided on this Website is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.

Jump back to top