http://www.wfp.org/feeds/Somalia Country content en http://www.wfp.org/content/un-envoy-somalia-verge-great-things-more-international-assistance-needed-secure-gains-0 While praising the people and Government of Somalia, along with their international partners, for being “on the brink of achieving truly great things,” the top United Nations Envoy in the country warned the Security Council that overall success is not guaranteed and that “in no sense at all is the Somalia 'crisis' over. “Where we stand is […] precarious. We cannot afford to lessen our focus or investment – despite the many competing claims for our attention in the rest of the world,” said Nicholas Kay, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, as he briefed the Council on the Secretary-General's latest report on the situation in the country. Before going into some detail on political and security issues he began by answering the question he said that all the Secretary-general's Special Representatives probably hear most: “Are you optimistic?” “The answer in my case is a resounding “yes,” he said, adding that behind the “twists and turns, the crises and the standoffs”, Somalia has the foundations for progress: the international community is united behind a credible, legitimate federal Government. “There are resources available to meet the most immediate needs; there is the political will to compromise and manage disputes without resorting to violence. And the Somali people I have met are tired of war and deprivation, fed up with brinkmanship and predatory politics,” said Mr. Kay. Somalia Local hunger in the news Africa UN News Centre Tue, 24 Sep 2013 06:13:02 +0000 WFP 550876 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/content/why-barclays-wants-cut-somalia%E2%80%99s-money-transfer-lifeline-0 After more than two decaded of civil war, Somalia’s capital is enjoying a sense of relative calm. But Mogadishu is still struggling to recover from the fighting. Compounding the challenge are tens of thousands of people who have fled south-central Somalia to live in squalid camps in the city. They face insecurity, lack of clean water and sanitation and inadequate food.  Somalia Local hunger in the news Africa BBC News Fri, 20 Sep 2013 11:15:36 +0000 WFP 545310 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/content/why-barclays-wants-cut-somalia%E2%80%99s-money-transfer-lifeline . Donors have pledged 1.8bn euros ($2.4bn; £1.5bn) at a conference in Brussels to help Somalia end more than two decades of conflict. The money is part of a "New Deal" for what is widely regarded as a failed state, officials said The EU and Somali government believe now is a good time to adopt the programme as the country has entered a new era, with a more legitimate government and progress on the security front.   The New Deal focuses on peace and state-building.  Somalia Local hunger in the news Africa BBC News Fri, 20 Sep 2013 11:12:15 +0000 WFP 545308 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/content/hunger-news-1 . Somalia Local hunger in the news Africa BBC News Fri, 20 Sep 2013 11:09:49 +0000 WFP 545306 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/content/hunger-news-0 The number of people in crisis in Somalia is at its lowest since famine was declared in Somalia in 2011, thanks to successive seasons of average to above average rainfall, low food prices and sustained humanitarian response but acute malnutrition continues to pose a threat to hundreds of thousands of children especially in the country’s south, latest findings indicate. A joint report by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit for Somalia (FSNAU), a project managed by UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) indicates an estimated 870,000 people will be in Crisis and Emergency (IPC Phase 3 and Phase 4) from August to December 2013. The situation has significantly improved since 2011 when 4 million Somalis were in extreme food security crisis. The recent figures also represent a continued improvement since January when an estimated 1,050,000 people were in Crisis and Emergency (IPC Phases 3 and 4). Improvements are attributed to a near average July/August 2013 Gu harvest, increased livestock prices, increased livestock herd sizes, improved milk availability, low prices of both local and imported staple food commodities, higher purchasing power from income from labor and livestock sales, and sustained humanitarian interventions over the last six months. However, nearly 2.3 million additional people beyond those requiring more urgent assistance, one-third of Somalia’s population, are classified as Stressed (IPC Phase 2); their food security remains fragile. This group of households may struggle to meet their own minimal food requirement through the end of the year, and they remain highly vulnerable to major shocks that could push them back to food security crisis. Somalia Local hunger in the news FSNAU Fri, 20 Sep 2013 10:50:03 +0000 WFP 545282 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/content/hunger-news With a federal government shakily holding on to power in Mogadishu and violence significantly reduced, Somalia and the EU co-host a conference of international donors in Brussels today, intended to chart a new course to peace and prosperity. But on 30 September, those hopeful prospects will be thrown into jeopardy when Barclays closes the accounts of 250 Somali money transfer services, including Dahabshiil, which is much the biggest of the lot.   Barclays initially announced, in a letter to Dahabshiil and others dated 8 May, that the accounts would be closed on 30 July. It wrote: “Acceptance and eligibility criteria have been amended for customers in this sector,  which unfortunately means we will no longer be able to provide banking services to businesses that fall outside of these.”   For the international aid community, the severing of the remittance pipeline threatens to spark a new Somali emergency. And the effect on the agencies is even more direct than that, because in the absence of banks, they depend on the MTOs to funnel aid money to their Somali projects. The vast majority of them, including Oxfam, Care International and World Vision, use Dahabshiil, as does the United Nations. Somalia Local hunger in the news The Independent (UK) Fri, 20 Sep 2013 10:47:42 +0000 WFP 545280 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/stories/somali-community-invests-their-future For villagers in the Abudwaq district of central Somalia, getting enough water has always been a challenge. After facing a devastating drought, the townspeople found a way to solve that problem, and built themselves a better future, with WFP's support. Food For Assets Somalia Horn of Africa Africa Climate Change Droughts Food for Assets Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:52:50 +0000 WFP 484296 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/videos/somali-mothers-learn-defend-their-children-malnutrition At a nutrition centre in Mogadishu, mothers learn how to ward off malnutrition in their children while receiving fortified foods from the World Food Programme. In a country like Somalia, which suffers from some of the highest child malnutrition rates in the world, it's important for mothers to understand how vitamins and minerals are key to keeping their children healthy. Stories Nutrition Responding to Emergencies Somalia Africa Video stories Emergencies Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:54:42 +0000 WFP 404318 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/stories/education-key-reducing-malnutrition-rates-somalia Somalia's rates of malnutrition are historically high, but education can help to tackle the problem. WFP's nutrition programme is not only helping women & children recover from undernutrition, but also teaching mothers how to protect themselves and their families against it. Nutrition Somalia Horn of Africa education future Malnutrition nutrition somalia TSFP Local Africa Nutrition Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:35:43 +0000 Susannah Nicol 402390 at http://www.wfp.org http://www.wfp.org/stories/education-key-reducing-malnutrition-rates-somalia Somalia's rates of malnutrition are historically high, but education can help to tackle the problem. WFP's nutrition programme is not only helping women & children recover from undernutrition, but also teaching mothers how to protect themselves and their families against it. Nutrition Somalia Horn of Africa education future Malnutrition nutrition somalia TSFP Local Africa Nutrition Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:35:43 +0000 Susannah Nicol 402390 at http://www.wfp.org