Somalia: Floods - Apr 2013

Executive summary

This report was commissioned by UNHCR’s Shelter and Settlements Section (SSS).
It combines the findings of two separate evaluations undertaken in Somalia in the latter half of 2014:

1) Shelter response

2) Shelter cluster coordination

SWALIM Completes Preliminary Estimation of Land Cover in Northern Somalia

Snapshot 5 – 12 November

In Syria, the opposition agreed to participate in international peace talks in Geneva under the condition that President al-Assad is excluded from any transitional government, which constitutes a major obstacle to the initiation of the process as the Government stated it will not enter discussion if this demand is upheld. The peace dialogue has been repeatedly postponed and will not go ahead as planned in November. To date, the overall number of Syrian refugees is over 2.2 million and the number of people in need in the country stands at 9.3 million.

Snapshot 29 October – 5 November

In Syria, the opposition remains divided over their participation to proposed peace talks in Geneva, with a decision being expected by 9 November. In Damascus, the Government repeated that it will not enter discussions if President al-Assad is forced to resign. While the overall number of Syrian refugees went over 2.2 million, revised estimates indicated that the number of people in need in Syria has increased from 6.8 million in April to 9.3 million in late October. An estimated 6.5 million are internally displaced.

Near average Karan crop production expected in December/January in the Northwest

KEY MESSAGES

• In September, a better off-season cereal and cash crop than anticipated in July was harvested in riverine areas along the Juba and Lower Shabelle and in agropastoral areas in Bay Region. However, July to September Hagaa rains in the South were significantly below average, which did not support Hagaa crop growth during the off-season and many crops wilted, especially in Lower Shabelle along the coast.

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 KEY FINDINGS

Snapshot 08 – 15 October

In Syria, heavy fighting is ongoing in Rural Damascus, Dar’a, Aleppo, Idleb and Homs, with government forces making gains in Rural Damascus while the opposition has won ground in Dar’a. Despite the call of al-Qaeda’s leader for opposition fighters to unite, inter-group fighting has escalated in Aleppo over control for neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, the Syrian National Council announced that it did not intend to participate in the proposed Geneva II peace talks.

In Syria, heavy fighting along the border with Jordan in the southern province of Dar’a is on-going. After a week-long battle in Aleppo, the Government army regained control of the strategic town of Khanasser which is located on a key supply route between central Syria and Aleppo. Meanwhile, ground fighting is ongoing across Syria, with clashes extending to the previously relatively stable governorate of Tartous.

Somalia has witnessed over two decades of conflict, violence, human rights violations and natural disasters, all of which have triggered repeated waves of displacement. Although the first half of 2013 saw less new displacement than in previous years, there are still an estimated 1.1 million Somalis who are internally displaced. Most IDPs continue to live in dire conditions in protracted displacement, and prospects for durable solutions remain distant for many of them.

Snapshot 02 – 09 September

Despite improvements, 870,000 likely in Crisis and Emergency (IPC Phase 3 and 4) through December

KEY MESSAGES

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Below average 2013 “gu” cereal crops expected in central/southern areas following unfavourable rains, pest outbreaks and reduced planted area

• Off-season crop production forecast at above average levels

• Early start of the dry “hagaa” season (July to September) has negatively impacted on pasture and water availability in the north-east

• Prices of cereals declined in August in most markets Just over one million people are in need of humanitarian assistance (about two thirds are IDPs in settlements)

In Syria, intensive fighting continued in Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Rural Damascus and Homs. Intensive clashes which ignited at the start of the month between Government and opposition groups in the governorate of Lattakia appeared however to have ceased. At the start of the week, the US warned that a military strike against Syria was imminent, following the alleged use of chemical weapons near Damascus on 21 August. By the end of the week, President Obama indicated that he would seek congressional approval of the Congress before undertaking such an action.

NAIROBI [ACTED News] - Heavy rains that fell across South Central Somalia in the last Gu season (the country’s main rainy season) brought about relief to dry conditions but also localized flooding, causing displacements and increasing the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks in areas where there is already limited access to clean water and safe hygiene practices. In response to this, ACTED plans to rehabilitate 8 shallow wells and provide hygiene promotion support to 2,000 vulnerable households in Bay and Lower Juba.

Snapshot 12 – 19 August

In Syria, fighting between governmental forces and opposition groups has been concentrated in Aleppo, Deir-ez-Zor, Homs, Lattakia and Rural Damascus this week. Meanwhile, infighting is ongoing within the opposition. As during previous weeks, FSA forces have clashed with Islamist opposition groups on multiple occasions while Kurdish groups continued to fight with Islamist groups in the north of the country. The mass influx of Syrian refugees to neighbouring countries is ongoing. As of 19 August, over 1.9 million Syrians had fled the country.

SWALIM Locates Source of the Kismayo Charcoal Pile

HIGHLIGHTS

• Moderate to heavy rains in March marked an early start to the April-June Gu rainy season, with Gaalkacyo, Eyl, Laas Caanood in Mudug, Nugaal and Bari, Jowhar and Baardheere districts in Southern Central Somalia recording significant downpour. While bringing relief to dry conditions, the intense rains have led to flooding, damaged an estimated 6,397 hectares of crops and displaced about 50,000 people

In focus

In Syria, despite the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan on 9 July, large-scale operations have been ongoing in several major cities, including Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, and Idlib with regime forces pushing to extend the gains obtained over the past weeks with support of the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters. Infighting within opposition forces has escalated in recent days with clashes reported between various Islamist and more moderate groups, notably between Kurdish fighters and al-Qaeda affiliated Islamists near the border with Turkey in Al-Hassakeh governorate.