GBViE Brief – January to March 2022

Intimate partener violence, sexual assualt and abuse are on the rise, as drought conditions worsen in regions and states across Somalia, including Gedo, Lower Juba, Southwest State and Banadir, and Somaliland, including Maroodijeex, Togdheer, Awdal, and Sanaag. This situation is expected to deteriorate further, as Somalia and Somaliland face the risk of a fourth consecutive failed rainy season in early 2022, following a complete lack of rains between October and December in 2021. The failed rains in 2021, the Gu and Deyr seasons, led to crop failure and widespread loss of livestock, reaching 40 - 60 per cent in some areas. This caused a decline in milk production, poor harvest, and severe water shortages, subsequently resulting in a rise in cost of basic staple food, such as cereal. In addition, livestock prices have declined, and livelihoods eroded, resulting in reduced purchasing power. Data from the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Information Management System 2021 revealed an increase in the number of sexual violence incidences of about 7 per cent. Simultaneously, access to GBV services has been severely hampered due to widespread displacement ultimately triggered by the drought.