FAO’s Famine Prevention and Drought Response Plan is part of a wider humanitarian response involving UN, and international and local NGO partners to prevent a famine this year in Somalia. It complements WFP, UNICEF and other partners’ response plans to address the main dimensions of food and nutrition insecurity.

Within the Plan, FAO identifies the distinct needs of rural populations to resist famine, and seeks USD 160 million to urgently support them.

FAO believes that famine can be prevented and that these efforts must concentrate on rural areas. More particularly, putting cash in people’s pockets and keeping farming and pastoral livelihoods intact are rural people’s best defence against famine in the coming months.

FAO’s Famine Prevention and Drought Response Plan combines lifesaving interventions with emergency livelihood support to address the distinct needs of rural people at risk across Somalia. The Plan responds to three overarching priority needs in rural communities:

• Cash (cash-for-work and unconditional cash transfers), to meet immediate food (and water) needs;
• Livelihood support and cash (“Cash+”), to restore food production while ensuring families meet their immediate food needs; and
• Emergency livestock support, to save livestock assets, and related food and income.

Read the full plan here.

Key messages

• Famine will appear in Somalia in the second half of 2017, unless we act immediately and at scale to prevent this from happening.
• Uniquely powerful information tools tell us where and when the famine risks are highest.
• Famine starts in rural areas, and is prevented in rural areas.
• Those most at risk of famine are Somalia’s southern breadbasket, and northeastern pastoral areas.
• Based on the latest projections, 2/3 of food insecure Somalis in IPC Phases 3 & 4 are rural.
• Nearly 9/10 of Somalis in IPC Phase 4 are rural.
• Rural people know their livelihoods are their best defence.
• It is not too late. Massive prevention actions are possible

FAO will release an updated response plan based on the evolving food security situation in Somalia in early June 2017. Please note that the in this article is from February 2017.