According to the World Food Programme, close to 3 million severely food and nutrition insecure Somalis require urgent humanitarian assistance amidst severe drought across the Horn of Africa, while another 3.3 million need support to avert crisis. An estimated 363,000 children aged under 5 are acutely malnourished, including 71,000 who are severely malnourished and face a high risk of disease and death.
Somalia kids smiling. © Unsplash
In the past couple of weeks, the GAIN premix facility has been organizing tenders for large quantities of essential vitamins and minerals that will be added during processing of 30,000 metric tons of fortified blended foods (partially precooked and milled cereals, soya, beans, and pulses) that will be distributed to 300,000 people affected by the current crisis in Somalia. In 2011, the GPF actively sourced vitamins and minerals for fortified foods that were sent to the Horn of Africa and in 2014 we sourced vitamins and minerals for fortified foods that were sent to countries affected by the Ebola crisis.