Movement and trade restrictions triggered by the virus have not only impacted how we operate in Somalia but they may also drive up the number of people in need of emergency food and livelihoods support.
It's over 100 percent greater than hunger figures in an average year, and the highest level of humanitarian need in Somalia since July 2017, when the country was at the the height of a severe drought.
We're also expecting that measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Somalia will likely cause a 20 to 30 percent decline in income among poor urban households and internally displaced people, and a 20 to 50 percent increase in imported food prices.
Since mid-March when the COVID-19 emergency started in Somalia, FAO has transferred $4 million to 200,000 people safely through the Mobile Money program.
In total there are over 350,000 households, comprising more than 2.1 million people, registered in FAO's Mobile Money platform in Somalia, which means we can quickly scale up to reach those in need as the current crisis develops.
