Humanitarian situation in 2020 The humanitarian crisis in Somalia continues to be characterized by ongoing conflicts, climate-related shocks, communicable disease outbreaks and weak social protection mechanisms. In 2020, three additional shocks contributed to a deterioration of humanitarian conditions: extensive floods, desert locust infestations, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These compounding shocks have exacerbated humanitarian needs among a population already living under the strain of widespread poverty and decades of armed conflict and insecurity. In comparison to 2019, the number of people in need of assistance in 2020 increased by 24 per cent, from 4.2 to 5.2 million.