World Bank Launched Somali Poverty Profile

Today, the World Bank launched a comprehensive analysis of the welfare conditions of the Somali population. The High Frequency Survey report says every second Somali is living in poverty, with poor households more likely to be deprived beyond monetary poverty as well, and less likely to participate in the labor market.

The rate of poverty, defined as expenditure for consumption lower than the international poverty line of $1.90 a day, varies considerably across different pockets of the population, ranging in different areas from 26% to 70%. The Somali population is slowly recovering from its worst drought in decades. About 6.7 million people have needed humanitarian assistance and support for recovery in the first half of 2017.

The report portrays the poor and their livelihoods, with a focus on social protection and remittances before the onset of the crisis. A second wave or phase of the Somali High Frequency Survey is planned for the end of 2017 with its expanded coverage to include the nomadic population.