Humanitarian situation in Somalia: Monthly analysis, Aug 2006

This report was written in cooperation with the UN Agencies in Somalia

HIGHLIGHTS

The post-Gu assessment by Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) in June revealed that around 1.8 people - including 400,000 IDPs - are in need of critical assistance until the end of the year. In the month of August, WFP and FAO, among other organizations, held a working session to discuss response options with regard to food security and livelihoods interventions in Somalia. The consultations are part of a structured approach by FAO/WFP to the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) 2007 for Somalia. WFP Somalia has presented a tentative relief food programming strategy that will target people in geographical areas with almost complete crop failure who are in Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis or Humanitarian Emergency.

Several efforts were made by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) during the month to improve security in Mogadishu. Sixteen police stations were reactivated which had been under the control of warlord militia. Armed vehicles and militia were dispatched to all police stations for better management of the Benadir security structure. A ban on carrying guns in the streets of Mogadishu was also issued. The humanitarian community hopes that these initiatives will translate to better access to those in need.

The polio outbreak in Somalia has spread, with 14 of 19 regions affected despite a reduction in total cases from 185 last year to 30 so far in 2006. The current outbreak is a consequence of an importation of the virus from Yemen, which threatens to spread to Ethiopia and may infect polio-free Kenya and other neighboring countries. Every effort is being made to ensure that immunization campaigns are completed to halt the circulation of the virus. Rumors of cases of measles associated with diarrhea and malnutrition were reported in El Wak District of Gedo Region. A team from Gedo Health Consortium visited the area and found that those affected were mainly nomadic pastoralists who were not in the area during the measles catch-up campaign. The main challenge in the area is to improve the weak basic health care as the number of health facilities is limited and these are key to delivering essential care such as Expanded Programme of Immunizations (EPI) and other Mother and Child Health (MCH) services.

Heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands during the month of August caused localized flooding in Jowhar. UN agencies comprising OCHA, UNICEF and WFP deployed staff in Jowhar to conduct a joint assessment on the flood situation. It is estimated that 30,000 people and 14,000 hectares of farm land were affected in 12 villages around Jowhar.

Field consultations for the 2007 CAP took place during the month of August in Hargeisa, Garowe and Baidoa, while bilateral consultations were held in Mogadishu, in order to ensure grassroots involvement of local partners in identifying the most pressing humanitarian needs and concerns and in elaborating strategic priorities for 2007. The culmination of the field consultations took place at the CAP workshop in Nairobi on 30-31 August, which resulted in the identification of four strategic priorities which will be used to guide planning and implementation of humanitarian assistance in Somalia.

ACCESS and SECURITY

In the month of August, the ICU made efforts to improve security and restore law and order in Mogadishu. On 4 August, 16 police stations were reactivated, 39 vehicles and 600 armed militia were deployed to the stations. The ICU banned all unauthorized political gatherings, and advised foreigners to provide two weeks notice before visiting Mogadishu. On 8 August, the ICU issued a ban on carrying guns in the streets of Mogadishu unless registered with the courts.

In Baidoa, despite the presence of a large number of TFG militia, the security situation remained fragile and unpredictable. A World Vision International (WVI) national officer was killed on 4 August by a gunman at a road block between Baidoa and Bur-Hakaba town. On the same day, a member of Bur-hakaba district council was shot dead by gunmen in revenge for the killing of the officer. This led to the closure of Bur-hakaba district to all UN staff by UNDSS, disrupting access to various parts of the region. On 21 August, Baidoa prison security guards and local militia clashed at Baidoa prison, resulting in 3 hours of rioting and severely restricted movement in Baidoa town. UN missions were temporarily suspended. Reports indicate that the violence started when a group of militia attempted to release one of the 10 suspects arrested for the July assassination of a TFG minister. The rioting ended through intervention by elders and the TFG.

On 4 September, nine people were killed and a number wounded when fighting broke out between militia allied to the TFG and local militia at the airport in Baidoa, seat of the TFG. The fighting was reportedly sparked by TFG demands that local militia relinquish control of the airport. The government-allied militia eventually took command of the airport and expelled the local militia. Discussions are reported to be taking place between the TFG and clan elders over future control of the airport.

During the month of August, several threats from Luuq and Garbaharey were received by UN offices in the field. The messages included threats to shoot down UNCAS planes and kidnap UN staff. On 21 August there was shooting at Garbaharey airstrip during the drought-response Real Time Evaluation (RTE) that took place during the month. The reason for the shooting is unknown. UNDSS has closed Garbaharey and Luuq airstrips to all international and national staff until further notice. Dollow airstrip was opened as an alternative for UN flights.

Following calm in the Mogadishu area in August, the measles catch-up campaign was successfully completed in six districts, including Waberi, Hamar Jajab, Hamarweyne, Yaqshid and Huriwaa. According to preliminary results, over 95% of the targeted children were reached during the exercise - the best coverage reached in Mogadishu during the last 15 years.

The ICU sanitation committee successfully carried out a clean-up campaign in Mogadishu and its environs. Other cleaning activities carried out by ILO, in partnership with SAACID, are also ongoing in Mogadishu in collaboration with district commissioners and neighborhood communities.

Recurrent inter-clan fighting over water resources, roadblocks and localized floods affected access in parts of Lower Juba. Fighting within Gadsan/Biyamal subclan on 20 August affected access in west Kismayo. On 24 August, floods cut off Kismayo - Kamsuma road at Mogambo village. In Afmadow, the road connecting Afmadow to Dhobley and Kismayo was improved using HornRelief /AFREC cash for work project.

In response to the localized flooding in Jowhar caused by the heavy rains in the Ethiopian highlands, UN agencies comprising OCHA, UNICEF and WFP deployed staff in Jowhar on 23 August to conduct a joint assessment on the flood situation. It is estimated that 30,000 people and 14,000 hectares of farm land were affected in 12 villages around Jowhar. Meanwhile the new administration of ICU in Jowhar, with assistance from UNICEF, distributed 10,000 sand bags to the flood-affected population.

In Upper and Lower Juba, the floods cut off an estimated 600 hectares of recession farms planted with off-season crops, the main livelihood of these communities. OCHA met with other agencies, to establish the number of sandbags needed for Juba and is coordinating regular updates of the flood situation. UNICEF indicated that it has 30,000 empty sand bags in Jowhar, of which 20,000 could be immediately dispatched to Juba. UNICEF also distributed treated mosquito nets to 776 families in 8 villages around the China Canal. WFP indicated that they are ready to implement food-for-work or, during the harvest period.

In Middle Shabelle and Juba, it is anticipated that river levels will increase within the next three weeks due to the onset of Deyr rains. Localized flooding has also been reported in four villages (Towfiq, Mustaqbal, Dacaraha and Muruqmal) in Kurtunwarey district/ Lower Shabelle region with 70 hectors of farmland flooded. No data on the number of people affected is available.

PROTECTION

UNHCR Somalia continued to monitor population movements. The month of August witnessed movements within Mudug and Nugal regions (including Galkayo) as a result of growing tension between the ICU and Puntland authorities. There have also been reports of population movement from Ethiopia Region 5 towards various IDP settlements in Galkayo due to clan conflicts and lack of livelihood opportunities.

Cross-border movement into Kenya continues to be high. UNHCR Kenya confirmed 2,995 people (up from 2,677 in July) crossed the border during the month of August. SEDHURO, a local None Governmental Organisation (LNGO) reported that 797 people crossed into Kenya from Liboi between 1-15 August. Most were young boys and girls coming from Mogadishu. The people used mini buses to reach the border through the Mogadishu - Jilib - Liboi route to Dadaab Refugee Camp. The cumulative number of new arrivals reporting to refugee camps in Dadaab for the period 1st January 2006 to 01 September 2006 is 10,082 families, comprising 21,303 individuals.

The high level of continuing rain in catchment areas of the Shabelle River are early warning indicators that there will be further flooding in Lower Shabella Region, affecting the communities of Danyerey and Darsalam in Awdghle District. During the month, flooding in the South of Jowhar District due to the bursting of the Shabelle River banks caused the displacement of 1,900 people. The villages most affected were Garashka, Tuugarey, Beeyxaaw, Raqeyle, Mangay and Bardhere. Over 6,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed. This has had a significant impact on the livelihood of people. In Garaskha village, huts were also damaged. Further, there were reports of flooding in Lower Juba due to the Juba River overflowing. Displacements were reported of populations moving to areas surrounding Jamame and Kiamsuma villages. Most of those affected were from the minority Bantu community residing in the area.

In the month of July and August, 40 families (92 individuals) were voluntarily repatriated from Yemen to Bossaso. The majority of the new returnees (64) were females. UNHCR, together with WFP and DRC, assisted these new returnees upon their arrival to Somalia with transport and food rations.

The development of a protection monitoring system in Somalia is a cornerstone of the UNHCR/IASC protection response plan and a key tool of the UN joint strategic plan to address the needs of IDPs. Identification of partners for inclusion in the Protection Monitoring Network was completed for Somaliland and it is expected that the identification process will be completed for Puntland and South/Central during the month of September.

A workshop on IDP Profiling, organized by the Protection Cluster under the auspices of the IASC Somalia, took place in Nairobi on 8 September. The workshop followed the full-desk review of existing data on IDPs conducted by UNCT/IASC in June-August 2006 in an effort to develop an inter-agency framework for collection and analysis of IDP-related data. This review took stock of existing information and reviewed gaps in order to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of IDP assistance and protection needs. Working group sessions for Puntland, Somaliland, Mogadishu and South/Central took place at the workshop, presenting their recommendations on regional IDP priority needs and priority locations for the next profiling exercise. Final recommendations from the profiling exercise will be submitted to the IASC for review and approval, and IDP Profiling pilot initiatives in Somalia will begin in October 2006.

UNHCR Somalia together with UNDP has initiated a Legal Clinic for IDPs in Somaliland. This initiative will focus on advocacy and will provide legal support to internally displaced persons and refugees through the Legal Clinic at the University of Hargeisa Faculty of Law. UNHCR with the support of Danish Refugee Consortium (DRC) has launched a Small Grant Fund for partners to support a population tracking initiative. In addition, UNHCR has finalized the arrangements for the launch of three projects related to income generation, health and crop production in South/Central and one income generation project in Puntland. These interventions commenced on 1 September and aim to facilitate the reintegration of returnees; they will also benefit local communities.

On 16 August a fire broke-out at Bulo Mingis IDP settlement in Bossaso causing loss of property and shelter for 312 families. Agencies based in Bossaso (UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UN-Habitat, DRC and a LNGO SWRU) were quick to respond but the cause of the fire was not immediately identified. Those affected were given wooden building materials to begin reconstructing their homes but on the same day masked gangs stole some of those materials from the IDPs.

The situation was further complicated by reluctance on the part of local authorities to allow UN agencies and NGOs to meet freely with IDP elders and the authorities' initial refusal to the above agencies to visit areas affected by the fire. These issues were raised during recent meetings between UN representatives and Bossaso authorities and will be followed up at high level. In Somaliland, a similar fire erupted in State House IDP camp on 17 August, burning three houses to the ground and partially burning six others.

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