Somalia: Situation Report No. 10, 28 Feb - 06 Mar 2009

Key Overall Developments

The latest Somalia Food Security Outlook report by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network - FEWSNET - for Somalia has said the current food security situation is not expected to change through June 2009, in the most-likely scenario. The report further says that Somalia's main rainy season April - June, will be below normal due to "La Nina" weather phenomenon, which is associated with poor rains. This will further increase the impact of the harsh Jilaal dry season (January - March) leading to more water scarcity and pasture in Gedo, Central regions and the Jubas where populations are already in crisis. The Gu rainy season in Somalia contributes to about 70 percent of annual food and fodder production in most parts of the country. At least 3.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Calm returned to Mogadishu following two days of intense fighting last week which claimed at least 48 lives and wounded over 270 others. UNHCR received very few reports of IDP returns to Mogadishu. Some 25,000 - 40,000 are estimated to have returned since 15 January. The fighting drew condemnation from Amnesty International which issued a statement on 4 March, saying that civilians paid the heaviest price of the intense fighting. It called on armed opposition groups and government forces to cease all indiscriminate attacks and to take all precautions to avoid loss of life and injury of civilians.

UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault visited Somalia this week to see firsthand the situation of children and women and the efforts to provide them with life-saving aid and critical services. He visited malnourished children in Bossaso, Puntland and UNICEF-supported projects in Berbera, Somaliland.

Some 34 WFP cooperating partners completed warehouse training in Nairobi during the week. The training is aimed at enhancing capacity of partners in proper handling of food commodities, WFP standards and guidelines and community mobilization. Another 33 partners are attending the same training in Waajid, Bakool.

Response

Following reports of Acute Watery Diarrhea in Lower Shabelle, about 60 km west of Afgooye, resulting in seven deaths, UNICEF with local partners has sent teams with supplies to the affected locations. The team is confirming cases, conducting rapid assessments on sources of contamination, and will come up with a plan for feasible interventions for the short-to-medium term response. The affected locations have been inaccessible until last week due to heavy fighting between warring groups in the area.

Five water supply networks serving 180,000 IDPs in Afgooye - 45 percent of the total IDPS - have been completed and provided with operation and maintenance support. Meanwhile, the local NGO SOPHPA supported by UNICEF has scaled-up chlorination of the water sources in Afgooye and Mogadishu targeting a total of 60,000 people. Clean-up campaigns, garbage collection and hygiene promotion activities targeting 10,000 people in Belet Weyne, Hiraan, have also been initiated.

Distribution of Plumpy'doz (a ready-to-use food rich in micronutrients) started in Somaliland targeting 10,300 children in the coastal communities and Burao IDPs. Distribution has already taken place in Berbera and Borama districts reaching 1,000 children at the end of February. The first round of distribution was completed in South/Central bringing the total number of enrolled children to 102,879. The rapid screening conducted as part of registration for Plumpy'doz in South/Central identified 2,890 (about 3 percent) children who are severely malnourished and referred them to existing outpatient therapeutic and stabilization centers. In Puntland a total of 9,460 children were reached with the second round distribution at the end of February. Currently, 122,639 children aged six - 36 months are benefiting from this project and will remain enrolled for 8 months.

WFP distributed a total of 6,950 metric tons of food commodities to 272, 030 beneficiaries during the week. There were some 21,000 beneficiaries under various programmes in Hargeysa, Somaliland, 118,000 beneficiaries in Hobyo, Harardheere, Waajid, Garbahaarey and Buur Dhuubo in Mudug, Bakoo and Gedo regions. Another 48,000 people in Bardale and Luug in Gedo region and Waajid and 81,000 beneficiaries of the wet feeding programme in Mogadishu and another 2,340 under social support in Marka, Lower Shabelle.

For further Information in English, contact: Rita Maingi on +254 734 800 120 - maingir@un.org, Website address: http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia