Humanitarian response in Somalia: Monthly cluster report, Oct 2008

This report was written in cooperation with the cluster coordinators for the humanitarian operation in Somalia and provides a monthly update on ongoing activities and humanitarian response.

HIGHLIGHTS

- The NGOs CARE and IMC suspended all programming in South Central Somalia following a statement issued on 3 October by Al Shabaab calling for the agency to cease operations in areas under its control. The suspension of CARE activities has affected nearly 1 million Somalis in need of food aid.

- The 2008 Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) for Somalia was 70% funded as of mid-November 2008. The funding for the education cluster increased from 9% to 42%.

- Two nutrition surveys were conducted in Somaliland in October. The results from the survey conducted in the coastal areas of Galbeed and Awdal regions, Somaliland, reported an alarming global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate of 20.7%, with a less alarming GAM rate of 9.9% reported in the Sool plateau of Sanaag region.

- In October, more than 37,000 people were displaced from Mogadishu due to insecurity.

- WFP and ICRC distributed a total of 33,000 mt food aid to more than 2 million beneficiaries.

- WFP is now targeting over 700,000 food insecure urban residents with relief food distributions in response to high food prices in urban areas.

- WFP has an overall shortfall of 14,734 mt of assorted food aid commodities for the next six months.

- The Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF) disbursed a total of US$957,281 to two projects benefiting an estimated 100,000 people in the Afgooye corridor and Bay and Bakool regions.

ACCESS & LOGISTICS

Insecurity remains a big challenge. Following the bombing incidents in Hargeysa, Somaliland, and Bossaso, Puntland, WFP sub-office in Somaliland put all planned food dispatches on hold until the situation has been fully assessed and considered conducive for resumption of programme activities. Shortly before the incidents, the sub-office dispatched a total of 2,211 mt of food aid commodities for October distribution targeting about 146,000 people through all WFP programme activities in the region.

Humanitarian partners are encouraged to share information on access and logistics issues. This will allow a more inclusive analysis of the overall situation and logistical needs on the ground and enable the cluster to develop a contingency plan.

In October, extra storage facilities were set up in Bossaso (500 mt) and Bu'aale (100 mt), in additional to the existing facilities at K50 (16,000 mt) and Waajid (4,000 mt).

The logistic cluster submitted four projects for the 2009 CAP: support to UNHAS operations, emergency rehabilitation of airstrips, rehabilitation of ports and roads, and rehabilitation of Bardere Bridge.

In a bid to curb the piracy off the coast of Somalia, and to ease the flow of goods in the Indian Ocean, NATO has launched anti-piracy operations. A fleet of ships and a helicopter, assembled at the request of UN Secretary-General will police the pirate-infested waters and ensure safe passage of vessels.

The Dutch Navy is currently providing escort assistance to WFP; they took over from the Canadian Navy on 22 October. On 26 October, they escorted two vessels with 18,500 mt of food to Mogadishu from Mombasa. NATO has also deployed two warships (Greek and Italian) to assist with the escort of WFP shipments.

Cluster Coordinator - Logistics:
Francesco Nicolo Cornaro, WFP, FrancescoNicolo.cornaro@wfp.org