In the regions of Lower Shabelle and Gedo, a deterioration of the general nutrition standards has been registered, with high rates of acute malnutrition among children under 5. Children and women are mostly at risk, being the prime sufferers of food crisis and the constant movement imposed by drought and civil strife.

To respond to the serious nutritional situation in the two regions and address the deep causes of malnutrition, we have developed a nutritional program addressing children under five and women of childbearing age.

Through the mobilization of the community, appropriate feeding practices will be promoted and an integrated management of children acute malnutrition will be endorsed.

The program ensures the provision of micro-nutrients nutritional supplements for women and children; community members’ training on the identification of acute and severe malnutrition cases and on patients’ transfer to Primary Health Centers; and medical staff training on active promotion of maternal nutrition.

Moreover, since water management is vital for the population wellbeing, secure containers for water will be distributed and a training on water proper management will be organized. A vaccination campaign against measles will be run.

In the regions of central and southern Somalia, since early 2011 water and sanitation services have deteriorated, communities social fabric has weakened and mechanisms to deal with the humanitarian crisis have enfeebled. In addition, the continuing movement of population to urban centers and IDP settlements has increased the pressure on water and sanitation infrastructures.

To meet the growing need of clean water and adequate sanitation services, we started an integrated program of health and hygiene in the regions of Lower Shabelle and Gedo: the communities living in rural and urban areas, health centers and schools are the focus of this intervention.

The objective is to improve access to safe water and sustainable sanitation services: it is necessary to increase the availability and access to water, strengthen the capacity of institutions and communities to effectively and efficient, manage the existing systems and reinforce them, promote proper hygiene education both in schools and health centers.

We have already developed a number of activities in the field of water and sanitation, such as the rehabilitation of wells and sanitation structures, provision of donkey carts to transport water, tests for the monitoring of water quality and water treatment, and training to the community management committee for each water point rehabilitated.

We will continue with this project activity for the rehabilitation of the existing water points, the repair of the damaged points, the construction of sanitation services in those areas not yet served within the two regions.