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Somalia: Drought Brings Water Shortages, High Food Prices

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  • Somalia: Drought Brings Water Shortages, High Food Prices

    Somalia: Drought Brings Water Shortages, High Food Prices
    Joe DeCapua February 25, 2011

    Somalia has one of the world?s worst humanitarian disasters, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced due to conflict. Now, a prolonged drought is adding to the country?s many problems. A top U.N. official says he wants the Somali people to know that aid agencies will do everything they can to help.

    U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden has written an open letter to the Somali people. He says he ?shares their fears and concerns.?


    ?Well. I think it?s very much on the basis of explaining to the Somali people what is happening to respond to the drought at the moment and the seriousness with which it?s being treated,? he says.

    Deyr and Gu

    The Deyr rains ? the short rainy season between October and December ? failed. Bowden says that?s had a direct effect on people?s health, especially children.

    ?We?re seeing for the first time very high levels of malnutrition in places in southern Somalia, where children are suffering rates of 30 percent acute malnutrition. Now the normal levels, which you start an emergency intervention, is 15 percent for acute malnutrition. So, it?s double the rate, which is unusual and the highest rates we?ve seen in 10 years,? he says.And of course with a drought, water shortages are being reported in various parts of the country.

    Bowden says, ?We?re also seeing drying up of water sources, some communities having difficulty accessing drinking water. And at the moment, the beginnings of the loss of livestock and the livelihoods of populations in southern, central and parts of northern Somalia affected.?

    The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator says little if any relief is expected from the Gu rains ? the main rainy season - which under good conditions would begin around April.

    ?We?ve just seen some recent climatology studies, which seem to suggest that the La Ni?a phenomenon will persist and will affect and reduce rainfall in the worst affected parts of southern Somalia and the Gu rains as well. So, the prognosis at the moment does not look too encouraging for that part of Somalia,? he says.

    Digging for water

    If nature won?t provide water in the form a rainfall, then it will have to be found elsewhere.

    Bowden says, ?We are in some areas paying for water trucking or the movement of water to communities. But at the moment, our priority is to deepen the boreholes that exist and to create a network of strategic boreholes, which provide both support for the people?s livelihoods to keep their cattle going and also for drinking water.?

    If livestock start to die in large numbers, Bowden says many people may migrate back to the capital Mogadishu in search of food and other assistance. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the city over the years to escape fighting between forces loyal to the Transitional Federal Government and various militias, including al Shabab.

    The U.N. is allocating $60 million to address the immediate needs of the Somali people, but if the Gu rains fail more money will be needed later in the year. How much? Bowden estimates more than $150 million would be required just to meet the food needs.



    Friday 25 February 2011 SMC
    Key Overall Developments

    Open Letter to the Somali people on the drought

    The Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) for Somalia raised concerns on the failure of the Deyr rains (October-December) which is causing enormous suffering in many parts of the country. In an open letter issued on 24 February, the HC said that the drought had brought with it a rise in food prices, restricted access to food as well as limited food stocks and led to the loss of livelihoods for pastoralists.

    The HC noted that the humanitarian community responded immediately with resources from a small amount of emergency funds held centrally. In early January, US$4.5 million was used to protect livelihoods to mitigate the immediate effects of the drought. The UN has allocated a further $60 million which will partially be used to meet the immediate drought needs. The funds will be allocated on need basis in proportion to the number of people assessed as drought-affected by area. He also called on all parties to Somalia?s conflicts to ensure that humanitarian access is granted to all communities in need.

    Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) Second Allocation launched
    In response to the ongoing drought situation, the HC and the CHF Advisory Board allocated $35 million for drought response, including access to food, water, health care, treatment of malnutrition and livelihoods support. An envelope of $5 million is dedicated to assist displaced people in Puntland, in particular for decongestion of settlements. Also $5 million has been allocated to common services that support humanitarian activities in Somalia. The standard allocation builds on the Consolidated Appeal for 2011 as the programmatic framework and humanitarian strategy for the year. In addition, $12 million is available in an emergency reserve to respond to other urgent needs.

    Organizations have until 2 March to submit their proposals for the standard allocation using the CHF online database. The HC will make final decisions by Friday, 25 March 2011. More information can be found on - http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia/chf

    Conflict and Displacement
    Mogadishu
    Heavy battles in the capital, between the African Union Mission in Somalia and TFG against Al Shabaab, started on the weekend, mainly in Hodan, Hawl Wadaag and Wardhiigleey districts. Estimates indicate that more than 50 civilians were killed and at least 100 others wounded. On 20 February, a violent suicide explosion occurred in Mogadishu killing at least seven people and wounding 35 others. Two children aged 10 and 11 years were among those killed in the blast. The explosion was targeted at a TFG military base in Mogadishu. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the incident.

    UNHCR reports that 17,400 displacements have occurred since 1 December, 2010 due to insecurity with 10,900 having left Mogadishu and another 6,500 displaced within relatively calm districts.

    Belet Xaawo, Gedo
    On 23 February, fierce fighting started in Belet Xaawo between pro-Transitional Federal Government troops including Ethiopian forces and Al Shabaab militia. In anticipation of fighting people left Belet Xaawo and are said to be camping in several locations in Mandera town in Kenya, particularly the Border Point One (BP1) side. Those who could afford it have rented houses for their families in Mandera. The number of arrivals is unknown. Fresh fighting resumed on 25 February, following a day of calm.

    Belet Weyne, Hiraan
    On 22 February, fierce fighting also started near the Belet Weyne Airport between Ethiopian forces and Al Shabaab. There were no reports on displacement yet, but the security situation is said to be tense.

    Sool and Sanaag
    On 20 February, heavy fighting occurred in Buuhoodle district in northwest Somalia between Somaliland forces and forces loyal to the rebel Sool, Sanaag and Cayn (SSC) group. At least eight people were killed and 10 others were wounded, including civilians. There were no reports of major displacements.

    Drought updates and displacements
    In collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), WFP has concluded a three-day rapid assessment in Benadir Region. The assessment covered 20 IDP camps in Wadajir, Dharkenley and Hodan districts where IDPs are concentrated and/or have moved to due to the drought. Prior to the data collection, WFP conducted intensive training sessions for the enumerators from DRC and NRC to ensure data standardization.
    Data analysis is under way, and results will soon be shared.

    During the reporting week, UNHCR reported that 52,130 people have been displaced from various locations since 1 December 2010 due to drought.

    Drought Response
    Humanitarian agencies have recently increased response activities due to increased influx of drought-displaced people into Mogadishu and its adjacent areas. These activities are mainly focusing on food assistance, nutrition, water and sanitation, health, agriculture and livestock and livelihood support.

    Mogadishu and periphery
    Food assistance continues to sustain some 250,000 people a month in Mogadishu, including around 17,000 malnourished children under five.

    Some 16 nutrition centers are receiving nutrition supplies regularly and 15 Mother and Child Health (MCH) Centres are providing maternal and child health services including routine Expanded Programme on Immunization services to over 290,000 IDPs and drought-affected people.

    WFP is supporting 19 wet feeding centres (16 in partnership with NGO SACCID, 2 with JUMBO and one with IIDA) benefiting a total number of 85,180, mostly women and children. Currently two centers are suspended due to insecurity.

    Concern Worldwide finalised selection of beneficiaries and is to start food voucher intervention targeting 1,400 IDP households at the end of the week. The programme is intended to cover the critical six-month period from February to July 2011. Each household will receive 20kgs of rice, 20kgs of wheat flour, 1kgs of sugar, 11kgs of pulses and 6 litres of vegetable oil.

    UNICEF, Oxfam and local partners are supporting chlorination of 217 water sources and 58 water point outlets benefiting 483,200 residents and outskirts IDPs. In Lafole IDP settlement, the construction of one water yard, including drilling a borehole and Operation and Management (O&M) support to benefit 18,000 IDPs and host communities are ongoing. In the Afgooye Corridor and Kah Shiqale O&M support for nine water systems is ongoing.

    The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has distributed 2,500 non-food items of a planned 5,000. The distribution has been temporarily interrupted due to fighting in the city. NRC has also erected 1,200 tents for the newly displaced in the last months.

    Through the Emergency Response window of the CHF, a $500,000 NRC project will construct 1,400 latrines and do hygiene promotion for 70,000 displaced people in Mogadishu.

    In the Afgooye corridor 9,000 IDPs and host communities from are benefiting from cash-for-work projects through the Livelihoods Cluster.

    The NGO SOYDA has extended a three-month health care project for the Afgooye and Balcad Corridor IDPs for an additional six months with funding from the CHF.

    Other Response
    Food Assistance
    During the week under review, WFP delivered a total of 1,160 metric tons of mixed food commodities to 91,400 beneficiaries through emergency school feeding, food for work/training, institutional feeding and nutrition programmes. Out of the total beneficiaries reached, 74,500 were from Puntland and 16,900 from Somaliland.

    Health
    WHO is pre-positioning additional medical supplies in Mogadishu.

    Contact: Contact: For further information both in English, contacts Rita Maingi on +254 734 800 120 ? maingr@un.org and in Somali, contact: Abdi Yussuf Noor on +254 734 210 103 ? nooryussuf@un.org


    Twitter: @RonanKelly13
    The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
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