OCHA Situation Report
Somalia: Floods
1 December 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Main Developments

A one-day multi-agency assessment mission to Jowhar (Middle Shabelle) on 
30 November has reported widespread inundation of farmlands and a 
critical need for food aid, as well as for emergency health kits and 
shelter materials. Numerous villages are still underwater. Hygiene and 
sanitation conditions are very poor among the displaced in Congo 
village.

Heavy rains and flooding also occurred in Puntland this week, especially 
in the coastal region of Bossaso, severely affecting IDP settlements. It 
is estimated that 4,000 families in settlements in Bossaso have had 
their shelters totally destroyed by flooding. A multi-agency response is 
addressing non-food, water/sanitation and other needs. With the 
possibility of further heavy rain along the northwest coast in the 
coming days, agencies in Puntland are developing a contingency plan to 
ensure preparedness to meet any increasing needs of affected populations 
and to cope with potential displacement. These rains from the north are 
predicted to move south in the coming days, likely to the Shabelle and 
Juba regions. Coastal areas thus remain at risk of flooding. According 
to SWALIM, there is a threat of heavy rains in headwater areas of the 
Shabelle river over the next week, as well as in the Lower Juba basin, 
resulting in the likelihood of flooding in these areas.

Developments Along the Shabelle River

Beletweyne (Hiran) - CARE has to date delivered and distributed 145 tons 
of food for 1,356 households in Beletweyne.  An additional 910 tons of 
food are on their way from Mogadishu. Three UNICEF trucks traveling from 
Hargeisa have arrived in Beletweyne and the Somali Red Crescent Society 
is offloading the non-food items (NFIs). ICRC distributed 2,040 
tarpaulins in Beletweyne during the week ending 1 December.

Jalalaqsi (Hiran) - UNICEF commenced movement of 300 BP5 biscuits, 400 
family relief kits (FRKs), 260 plastic sheets, 260 blankets, 1200 
insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) for 660 families; UNICEF is also sending 
1 boat and 6 crews to facilitate the response; International Islamic 
Relief Organization (IIRO) distributed dates to flood affected families.

Jowhar (Middle Shabelle) - ICRC has distributed 6,000 tarpulins and 
12,000 blankets in Jowhar during the week. UNICEF is awaiting the 
airlifting of NFIs next week in order to begin distribution in Jowhar. 
Meanwhile, rehabilitation by local authorities and communities of broken 
river banks is ongoing, and the authorities' rehabilitation of the 
Congo-Jowhar road (linking Jowhar to Mogadishu) is nearly completed.

Balad (Jowhar) - River levels are decreasing but agricultural land 
remains flooded. UNICEF is sending NFIs to Balad from Jowhar today, 
including plastic sheets, ITNs and blankets for 550 flood- affected 
families in villages around Balad. CONCERN Worldwide is continuing to 
distribute emergency family health kits and kitchen utensils to those 
displaced in Balad. IIRO distributed dates to flood affected families.

ICRC distributed 5,500 blankets to 6 Villages in Lower Shabelle within 
the week ending 1 December.

Developments Along the Juba River

Luuq (Gedo) - CARE has begun loading 3,088 tons of food today at Mandera 
(Kenya) warehouse to be distributed in the coming days to 13,218 
households in Luuq district.

ICRC has distributed 2,615 tarpulins in Middle Juba (Marare and Buale) 
and 2,550 tarpulins in Gedo (Bardera, Luuq and Garbaharey) within the 
week ending 1 December.

Funding

Two proposals benefiting flood-affected populations have recently been 
approved for funding under the Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF). A World 
Vision International project providing NFIs for the immediate survival 
needs of 15,000 people in Middle Juba (Buale and Sakow districts) will 
be funded for US$246,522. AFREC will receive US$67,497 for a project 
aimed at improving food security and income generation to riverine 
farmers in Middle Juba (Buale and Sakow) through provision of fishing 
kits for 8,400 households.

Coordination and Meetings

WFP has three boats in Buale, and is flying in another six. These will 
be used for delivery of food aid. Ad hoc assistance to other agencies 
will be extended when possible. UNICEF has six boats in Jamame and 
Jowhar; while these are for UNICEF operations, they are being made 
available to other agencies on an ad hoc basis when not in use by 
UNICEF. WFP has submitted three proposals for additional inter-agency 
logistics capacity under the flood response appeal, to be launched on 5 
December in Geneva.

Monday 4 Dec - Nutrition Cluster/Nutrition Working Group, 10.00am at SSS 
large conference room

Tuesday 5 Dec - Logistics Cluster meeting, 2.30pm at WFP Somalia

Wednesday 6 Dec - Education Cluster meeting, 2.00pm at UNICEF Somalia

Thursday 7 Dec - Food Aid Cluster meeting, 3.00 pm at World Vision 
Offices

Thursday 7 Dec - Flood Working Group, 10.30 at OCHA

UNOSAT has posted maps illustrating flooded areas along the Juba River 
between Jilib and Jamame. All partners operational in flood-affected 
regions are encouraged to access on-line SWALIM and UNOSAT maps and to 
print these maps as needed for distribution in the field.

http://www.faoswalim.org/viewpage.php?PageID=bf88c2a7f49ef5e5d35f474df4464d25

http://unosat.web.cern.ch/unosat/asp/prod_free.asp?id=28


For further information, contact:

Molly McCloskey or Rita Maingi at +254 (20) 375 4150-5

Agencies and partners are encouraged to send updates and information 
from field reports to: Matthew Olins olins@un.org and Molly McCloskey 
mccloskeym@un.org

OCHA SOMALIA - 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands 
Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No:  (254-20) 3754150-5; 
Fax No: (254-20) 3754156 http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International              web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information          listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -