OCHA Situation Report
Somalia
Report for September 2005
17 October 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This report was written in cooperation with the UN Agencies in Somalia

OVERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

On the UN's International Day of Peace (September 21) UN 
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Somalia, 
Ambassador Fall told the transitional government of Somalia that only 
progress in the political process would unlock international support for 
peace, reconciliation and development. Fall said the ongoing crisis 
within the government threatens to escalate to armed conflict and has 
discouraged donors from contributing to the reconstruction of the 
war-shattered state. Fall pledged that the UN would continue to foster 
efforts to restore peace and improve the lives of the people of Somalia. 
'There is much more that the United Nations is able and willing to do 
but it is the Somalia transitional federal institutions, working in 
accordance with the transitional charter, which must lead the way'.

In the north east, Somaliland continues to experience political 
development and economic recovery. Legislative elections held on the 29 
September were conducted in a peaceful, free and fair manner, according 
to international observers who were present - and the election process 
proceeded without intimidation. 'We were all heartened by the high turn 
out of voters, particularly women, despite the small number of women 
candidates,' Mandla Nkomfe, head of a 12-member South Africa observer 
mission said. A total of 246 candidates, including seven women contested 
the 82 seats in the lower house. Of the 1.2 million refugees that fled 
Somalia's conflict in 1991, 700,000 have returned back to the north 
east, attracted by the dynamic urban areas and the relative stability of 
the region.

Despite the signing of a peace agreement on September 25 between the 
Marehan and Gare communities, the humanitarian situation in Gedo region 
remains complex. Following this peace agreement, OCHA led an assessment 
mission (to El-Wak/Somalia) that instigated a response by agencies 
(UNHCR and CARE Somalia) but subsequently a series of serious security 
incidents, involving hand grenades and landmines have prevented 
humanitarian activities being carried out.

Chronic food insecurity and unacceptably high malnutrition levels 
persist in many areas, especially in the south, even in populations that 
are relatively food secure. It is envisaged that such unacceptably high 
malnutrition rates will trigger an increase in the response capacity of 
the humanitarian community - which is so urgently required - and 
especially along the Juba valley. Currently, around a quarter of the 
under five population is experiencing levels of acute malnutrition, that 
can exceed over internationally 'cut off' rates of 15%. In parts of Gedo 
and Juba regions malnutrition rates are above 20%.

Two cases of polio were confirmed in Mogadishu during September, with 
another 20 suspected cases under investigation. Somalia has been polio 
free since 2002. In view of these two confirmed cases, WHO and UNICEF 
launched an immunization campaign in Mogadishu to reach as many children 
under five as possible. A wider campaign covering other areas of Somalia 
started on 28 September.

This year the CAP Somalia 2006 seeks to target the one million most 
chronically vulnerable people in the country, the majority of whom can 
barely meet their basic needs. This year the CAP has a much greater 
humanitarian focus as other mechanisms are put in to place to address 
the country's transitional, recovery and reconstruction needs (for 
example the Joint Needs Assessment (JNA)).

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