STORY: Somalia: UN warns of lowest cereal production since 2011

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 02/SEPTEMBER/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
2. Med shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
3. Med shot, Deputy UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and UN
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, George Conway, flanked by
the Somali Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management,
Hamza Said Hamza follow proceedings of the event
4. Wide shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
5. Wide shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
6. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) GEORGE CONWAY, THE DEPUTY UN SECRETARY
GENERAL’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE AND UN RESIDENT AND HUMANITARIAN
COORDINATOR FOR SOMALIA
“The overall Humanitarian Response Plan for 2019 continues to be less than fifty
percent funded for this year, and we really do need the commitment of donors
and all of the partners on humanitarian response to continue this level of
assistance throughout the year, because if not, we do risk the levels of people in
food security emergency and crisis, spiking again before the end of the year. And
that is very troublesome. And should the response not continue, at least a million
people more will shift up into emergency levels of food insecurity.”
7. Wide shot, Deputy Representative, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
Etienne Peterschmitt inviting Somalia’s Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs
and Disaster Management, Hamza Said Hamza, to deliver his remarks
8. Wide shot, Deputy Representative, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
Etienne Peterschmitt inviting Somalia’s Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs
and Disaster Management, Hamza Said Hamza, to deliver his remarks
9. Med shot, journalists covering the event
10. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) HAMZA SAID HAMZA, THE SOMALI FEDERAL MINISTER
OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT
“We are expecting rains from October to December. We can have two things.
Those rains can create a flood in the country, because you know we have never
been clear from those rivers. And if you don't have rains. The water is on the way.
We have to take it seriously and tackle it together.”

11. Wide shot, the Chief Technical Advisor, Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit
(FSNAU), Daniel Molla speaking during the event
12. Med shot, the Chief Technical Advisor, Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit
(FSNAU), Daniel Molla speaking during the event
13. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) DANIEL MOLLA, THE CHIEF TECHNICAL ADVISOR, FOOD
SECURITY AND NUTRITION ANALYSIS UNIT (FSNAU)
“An estimated 1.2 million people are in IPC facing severe hunger, that is 1.2
million in IPC phase 3 and 4 and additional 3.6 million in IPC 2. Total is 4.8 million
between now and September. This is in the presence of humanitarian assistance.”

14. Wide shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
15. Med shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
16. Med shot, journalists covering the event
17. Wide shot, journalists covering the event
18. Med shot, the Deputy UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and UN
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, George Conway, flanked by
the Somali Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management,
Hamza Said Hamza following proceedings during the event
19. Close up shot, the Deputy UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative and UN
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, George Conway, follows
proceedings during the event
20. Med shot, the Chief Technical Advisor, Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit
(FSNAU) Daniel Molla, responding to a question
21. Med shot, journalists covering the event
22. Wide shot, journalists covering the event
23. Close up shot, journalists listening during the event
24. Wide shot, journalist asking a question
25. Close up shot, journalist asking a question
 26. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) ETIENNE PETERSCHMITT, THE DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE,
UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO)
“What is important to note is that the people that are very food insecure are
mostly in the rural areas and that we need to keep this in mind. We are talking
about keeping people, producing crops and allowing them stay there”.

27. Wide shot, participants at the launch of the 2019 post-GU technical release by the
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET)
28. Wide shot, participants at the end of the event
29. Med shot, journalists covering the event
30. Med shot, participants interacting at the end of the event

Somalia: UN warns of lowest cereal production since 2011

Mogadishu, 2 September 2019: Late and erratic rains during Somalia's 2019 Gu cropping season
(April-June) coupled with low river levels have led to the poorest cereal harvest since the 2011
famine and threaten an already fragile food security situation in the country.

According to the 2019 Post-Gu’ data gathered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO), Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and Famine Early
Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET), cereal production was up to 70 per cent below average in
southern for the Gu’ 2019 cropping season. The resulting shortfall is linked to abnormally high
prices of sorghum observed throughout the season. Today's Post-Gu 2019 Technical Release
indicates that, in the absence of humanitarian assistance, up to 2.1 million people across Somalia
face severe hunger through December 2019, binging the total number of Somalis expected to be
food insecure by year's end to 6.3 million.

Climatic shocks coupled with widespread poverty and vulnerability are key drivers that have
trapped millions of Somali's in severe hunger (IPC phase 3, "crisis" and IPC phase 4,
"emergency") and malnutrition.

An estimated 2.6 million people remain internally displaced across the country, either scattered
among host communities in rural areas or living in formal and informal settlements on the
outskirts of urban centres. Widespread malnutrition persists across the country and 1 million
children are projected to be acutely malnourished over the next year, including 180,000 who are
likely to be severely malnourished—if interventions are not scaled up.

Climatic shocks exacerbate needs. However, these shocks do not have to lead to a large-scale
catastrophe. We must continue to work collectively to strengthen the capacity of Somalia to
withstand these climatic shocks and identify durable solutions. As we collectively advocate for
and respond to urgent and acute humanitarian need, we must continue to invest in efforts to
identify durable solutions.” said Hamza Said Hamza, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and
Disaster Management, Federal Government of Somalia.
The next Deyr cropping season (October-December), which is expected to be wetter than normal
in most areas, will be crucial to avoid a deterioration of the food security situation in Somalia.
The rainfall forecast indicates 45 to 55 percent probability of rains being above average in in most
parts of the country. This amount of rainfall will benefit pastoral and agro-pastoral communities.
However, rains will likely cause flooding along the country's main Juba and Shabelle rivers which
can seriously damage crops and affect cereal production.

Against this backdrop, the humanitarian operation for Somalia remains under-funded with the
2019 Humanitarian Response Plan so far received US$ 487 million--less than half the
requirement. The Federal Government and humanitarian community launched a Drought Impact
Response Plan (DIRP) that covers the months June through December 2019.

“I thank the donor community for the swift support for the DIRP, which enabled humanitarian
agencies to scale-up response and keep 1 million people out of acute food insecurity through
September 2019. However, the DIRP is currently just under 50 per cent funded and without
additional resources and sustained collective response, 2.1 million people will face severe food
insecurity through December. Humanitarian partners stand ready to respond, but they cannot do
so without sufficient resources. I urge all donors to continue to step up support to enable the
provision of life-saving assistance to the large numbers of people in Somalia who are in dire need
of assistance.” said George Conway, the acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia.