OCHA Situation Report
Somalia: Floods
13 December 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Main Developments

In response to the need to prioritize inaccessible villages in Jilib 
district for assistance, an inter-agency mission (UNCIEF, WHO, 
WFP[security] and OCHA/UNDAC) was conducted on 11 December utilizing one 
of the WFP helicopters based in Wajid. The helicopter carried WHO 
medical supplies to Kismayo and transported UNICEF NFIs to Jamame. The 
multi-agency team met with an ICU representative in Jamame with regard 
to coordination and security before visiting flood-affected areas 
reachable by car or boat, including Arare IDP camp. While food and NFIs 
(to some extent) had been made available to the IDPs, the main problem 
was lack of access to clean drinking water and hygienic sanitation. Some 
villages in the area have not yet received help of any kind as they 
remain inaccessible by boat and road. UNDAC reports that local staff 
believe that the situation in Jilib district may not worsen, but that 
Jamame district may be harder hit during the next two weeks due to the 
confluence of the Juba and Shabelle rivers. The latest three-day 
forecast released by SWALIM calls for light rain in the districts of 
Gedo, Hiran, Bay and Middle/Lower Shabelle, with pockets of slightly 
higher rainfall forecast in Lower Shabelle.

According to the latest FSAU estimates, a total of 454,000 Somalis have 
been displaced by flooding - 299,000 along the Shabelle river and 
155,500 along the Juba. On 13 December, FSAU begun its flood impact 
assessment in order to confirm initial reports of damage to crop 
production, cereal stocks, agricultural assets and infrastructure. At 
this stage of the flooding cycle it is not possible for FSAU to conduct 
the planned post-Deyr seasonal crop survey assessment in riverine areas. 
The agency will carry out an off-season crop survey assessment to 
estimate off-season crop production early in 2007.

ICRC has reported that to date it has distributed tarpaulins to 259,770 
people in Hiran, Middle Shabelle, Middle/Lower Juba and Gedo; blankets 
to 318,000 people in Middle/Lower Shabelle and Lower Juba; shelter 
materials and NFIs to 128,000 people in Lower Juba (Kismayo), Galgadud 
(Wabho), Bakool (Wajid), Gedo (Luuq), Bay regions and Galkayo; shelter 
materials and blankets to 49,800 rain-affected people in Mogadishu; and 
provided soap and 11,000 doses of oral rehydration salts to 23 SRCS 
clinics.

Developments Along the Shabelle River

Beletweyne (Hiran) - UNICEF has completed water and environmental 
sanitation training of 120 volunteers affiliated with SRCS and LNGOs in 
Beletweyne town. ICRC is continuing to provide drinking water to 
approximately 45,000 people in Beletweyne and is cleaning and 
disinfecting 12 wells.

Jowhar (Middle Shabelle) - On 12 December, Jowhar and surrounding areas 
received brief but heavy rains that reportedly increased inundation and 
led to further deterioration of roads, particularly between Jowhar town 
and surrounding villages. The ICU had begun rehabilitation of the 
Jowhar-Mogadishu road but the latest rains have set back this effort. 
Meanwhile, UNICEF has dispatched plastic sheets, jerry cans and blankets 
to 600 families in the hardest hit areas of villages on the west side of 
Jowhar. Due to recent rains in target destinations, certain target areas 
could not be reached by vehicles carrying UNICEF supplies because of 
inundated roads.

Balad (Middle Shabelle) - According to field reports, the local flood 
committee has highlighted the need for immediate food support as well as 
for seeds and support for infrastructure recovery. Meanwhile, UNICEF's 
supply of Family Relief Kits (FRKs), plastic sheeting, blankets, jerry 
cans targeting 1400 families in Balad district were distributed on 12 
December.

Developments Along the Juba River

In several villages of Middle/Lower Juba, Muslim Aid is establishing 
mobile health clinics using drugs donated by WHO, Muslim Aid-UK and the 
people of Canada. WHO and Muslim Aid have agreed to establish 5 
mini-hospitals in south Somalia and mobile clinics in Juba regions (and 
in Mogadishu) for IDPs.

Horn Relief is preparing to target 6,200hhs for NFI distribution in 
three districts of Lower Juba - Afmadow, Hagar and Badahde - and plans 
to commence delivery next week. The NFIs include plastic sheeting, 
blankets and jerry cans. Horn Relief will also deliver to the three 
villages chlorine sachets and drainage and dewatering pumps. Horn Relief 
is awaiting delivery of 500kg of chlorine from Kismayo and Mogadishu for 
use in Afmadow

Coordination and Meetings

Friday 15 December, 10.30 at SWALIM - Flood Working Group meeting

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

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