OCHA Situation Report
Somaliland Assistance Bulletin
Report for July - September 2006
10 October 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

2006 Gu rains provided slight recovery options including improvement in 
calving and kidding for mainly camels and shoats leading to 5% increase 
of livestock holding and increased availability of milk (particularly 
areas with good rains), and improved livestock prices due to good body 
condition of livestock, however; 70,000 people (25,000, 25,000 and 
20,000 persons for Sool, Sanaag and Togdheer regions respectively) face 
Acute Livelihood Crisis due to below normal rains in those areas. 
Cumulative livestock deaths of the previous drought years, continuing 
livestock ban, and increased prices of food items due significant 
increase of fuel prices are among many factors that contributed to this 
livelihood status. Due to poor availability of water and pasture, the 
livelihood of the pastoralists of Hawd livelihood zone (South of 
Hargeisa and Togdheer Regions) is highly stressed and in alert 
situation, which need close monitoring. More charcoal production and 
increased enclosure of pasturelands were reported in areas with less 
rains including Hawd areas (south of Hargeisa and Burao) and some parts 
of Golis Mountains in the north (Source: 2006 Post-Gu Assessment).

According to a report released in September by FSAU and UNICEF, from 
9?19 July, FSAU, UNICEF, MOHL, SCRS and other partners carried out 
nutrition assessment in Hawd of Togdheer region with estimated 
population size of 38250 (WHO & UNICEF NIDs Figures verified by the 
survey) and indicated alert nutrition conditions of 9.9% and 0.7% for 
Global Acute Malnutrition and for Severe Acute Malnutrition 
respectively. Crude and under five mortality rates are reported to be 
0.42 and 0.76 deaths/10,000/day respectively. Similar or even higher 
malnutrition figures (GAM of 11.4%) were reported for Hawd Livelihood 
Zone of Hargeisa in another assessment carried by the same actors later 
in this quarter. Malnutrition was found significantly associated with 
child communicable diseases such as Diarrhea and Measles. The area is 
drought-affected where many pastoralists have got their assets eroded.

FSAU in collaboration with UNICEF, MOHL, MOH, SRCS conducted a nutrition 
assessment in Sool Plateau of Sool and Sanag regions from August 22nd to 
30th, 2006. This area has an estimated population of 45,845 (WHO/UNICEF 
August 2005 NID polio figures) In August/September. An alert nutrition 
situation with Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) of 9.0% and Acute 
Malnutrition (SAM) of 0.7% was reported showing improvements compared to 
the nutrition assessment of 2004, which reported GAM of 13.7%, a serious 
situation. Alert situation for both retrospective crude mortality rate 
(CMR) of 0.54 and under five mortality rate of 1.45 deaths/10,000/day 
respectively were reported although the same figures have shown 
improvement from 2004 situations due to general livelihood improvements 
associated with the 2005 Gu season. Malnutrition was found significantly 
associated (35.6%) with communicable childhood illnesses such as ARI, 
diarrhea, febrile illness and measles (Source: FSAU September 2006 
Nutrition Update).

Integrated livelihood support, increased access to food and other 
complementary sectoral interventions (e.g. health, water and sanitation) 
and other asset rebuilding interventions such as restocking are among 
the recommended interventions for these communities. Targeted emergency 
support like food provision and nutrition-related interventions for 
destitute households may also address and alleviate suffering associated 
with the current destitution in such critical times.

The nutrition situation of IDPs in Burao and Berbera remain as high as 
15.1% and 16.3% respectively according to last FSAU nutrition 
assessments (in October 05 and March 06 respectively) while the response 
(e.g. supplementary feeding) was considerably late. However, WFP and 
UNICEF are finally starting supplementary feeding in October.

Deyr rains (Oct-Nov) are expected in the coming quarter. The performance 
of such rains will mainly dictate the livelihood conditions for the 
local people in the long dry spell of Jilaal (Dec-February). With 
recurrent nature of droughts in this region and the chronic food 
insecurity suffered by local people (apart from those who are already in 
alert or acute livelihood crisis), contingency planning for any possible 
developments of emergencies with respect to basic sectors (water, 
health, food, education, etc.) is important at this junction of time.

Crop production was estimated below PWA1 (post war average) for most 
agro-pastoral areas (except in Gabiley district?west of Hargeisa) and 
lower than the crop production of 2005 by 35%. 75% of the expected 
harvest will be from Gabiley district, which will also be subject to the 
performance of the Karan rains (August-September) and other factors that 
affect crop harvest (FSAU led interagency assessment report).

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