Somalia: Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin No. 5, 29 January - 5 February 2010

Key Overall Developments

FSNAU's Post-Deyr Assessment findings

An estimated 3.2 million people - 42 percent of the total Somali population - is in need of emergency humanitarian assistance and/or livelihood support. The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit and partners issued a press statement on 1 February saying that the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has decreased by 9 percent from the post-Gu assessment (August 2009) when 3.64 million people were in crisis. The 9 percent decrease is mainly due to a bumper harvest in the agricultural areas of Southern Somalia.

The epicentre of the humanitarian crisis continues to be in Central Somalia (Mudug, Galgaduud, and Hiraan regions) due to ongoing drought which has left 70 percent of the population in need of assistance. These regions are experiencing the sixth consecutive season of below average rainfall. Recent conflict and displacement in these regions has also created a double burden for the drought affected populations, having to support the displaced, yet with reduced access to assistance from aid agencies due to the insecurity. Of concern also are the populations in crisis in the north, due to drought, following four seasons of belowaverage rainfall. This has left 290,000 from the pastoral and agro-pastoral populations in crisis and in need of both life-saving and livelihood support to recover from the prolonged crisis.

Nutrition

The overall Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates for Somalia are down from 19 percent to 16 percent. Now 1 in 6 children under five years are malnourished as opposed to the post-Gu assessment rates of 1 in 5 in August 2009. In the south and central regions, however, the median rate remains at 19 percent GAM and 4.5 percent Severely Acute Malnutrition (SAM). This means 1 in 5 children are acutely malnourished and 1 in 22 are severely malnourished and at a 9 times greater risk of death compared to well-nourished children. This situation remains unchanged from six months ago.

Currently, these rates translate into an estimated 240,000 children under five years of age in Somalia being acutely malnourished, of which 63,000 are severely malnourished.

Mogadishu

The Somali capital has been experiencing heavy fighting during the reporting period. On 31 January, insurgents and Transitional Federal Government/African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops clashed resulting in the death of several people and more than 50 others injured. On 29 January, Islamist insurgents launched several attacks on AMISOM bases and the presidential palace, reportedly killing at least 19 people, the majority being women and children. More than 30 other people were injured.

On 2 February, a huge fire broke out in Bakara market - the biggest in Mogadishu - reportedly resulting from a mortar shell that hit the petroleum section and spread quickly to other parts of the vast market. Property of an unknown value was destroyed, and one person was reportedly killed and four others were wounded.

Displacement

On 2 February, UNHCR said that violence sharply escalated in January resulting in the death of 258 people and another 253 wounded in central regions alone. This makes January the deadliest month since August 2009. Additionally, some 29,000 people have been displaced by heavy fighting in Dhuusamarreeb in Galgaduud while another 25,000 people fled their homes to escape renewed clashes in Belet Weyne, Hiraan region. In Mogadishu, approximately 18,000 people have also been displaced during January. In total, at least 82,000 people have been displaced in Somalia in the past month.