As part of the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF)-funded project titled “Community Nutrition Services to Climate Shock AƯected Populations in Kismayo,” MUDRO, in collaboration with the Jubbaland Ministry of Health and the State Nutrition Cluster, successfully carried out a mass MUAC screening campaign across IDP and hostcommunity settlements in Kismayo West. The activity took place from 17 to 21 December 2024 and aimed to identify children and mothers aƯected by malnutrition, improve early detection, and strengthen referral pathways for lifesaving nutrition services.
The screening teams reached a total of 3,613 children under five and 1,024 pregnant and lactating women across thirteen targeted locations. The results indicated that 10.4 percent of the screened children were aƯected by acute malnutrition, underlining the importance of sustained outreach and early intervention in communities impacted by climate shocks and displacement. Throughout the exercise, community leaders, mother-to-mother support groups, and health workers played an essential role in mobilizing families and ensuring that children identified with severe or moderate acute malnutrition were immediately referred to appropriate treatment centers.
Despite challenges related to population movement, transport limitations for referral cases, and inconsistent partner coverage in hard-to-reach villages, the activity was implemented smoothly through strong coordination, daily supervision and the eƯective use of KOBO digital tools for real-time reporting. This initiative represents a significant achievement under the SHF project, strengthening community-based nutrition services and contributing to improved health outcomes for vulnerable households in Lower Juba.
MUDRO expresses its deepest appreciation to the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) for its generous support. The success of this activity—and the positive impact it has had on thousands of vulnerable children and mothers—would not have been possible without SHF’s commitment to safeguarding the wellbeing of communities aƯected by climate shocks in Kismayo. We sincerely thank our donor for enabling this lifesaving work and for continuing to support eƯorts that protect the health and dignity of those most in need.