OCHA Situation Report
Somalia
23 March 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Main Developments

This week saw the heaviest fighting in Mogadishu since the ICU was 
ousted by TFG/Ethiopian forces at the end of December. Gun battles and 
mortar attacks ? on the seaport, various neighbourhoods in Mogadishu, 
Hamar Jajab market and other locations ? took place and civilian 
casualties were reported. Fighting between TFG/Ethiopian forces and 
opposing militia seriously escalated Wednesday (21 March), with the 
scene becoming brutal as militia dragged soldiers' bodies through the 
streets of Mogadishu. Violence continued Thursday until a lull in the 
fighting followed a meeting between Hawiye elders and Ethiopian military 
officers in Mogadishu at which an informal ceasefire was reportedly 
agreed. However, fighting in the city resumed Friday.

The number of casualties following the recent days of violence remains 
unconfirmed, though deaths are estimated in the dozens and the number of 
wounded at over a hundred. The humanitarian situation in Mogadishu 
continues to deteriorate, with thousands of people fleeing the city. 
Public transport services have reportedly ceased operating and many 
business have shut down due to restrictions on movement.

Insecurity, although at a much lower level, continued in other parts of 
South/Central during the week. On 18 March, four cars transporting UN 
staff from Baidoa to Mogadishu overran a land mine near Afgoye 
checkpoint. It is not clear whether the explosion was targeted. One car 
was destroyed and at least six people were injured, though no one was 
killed. Several roads remain unsafe, with a high number of roadblocks on 
the road from Mogadishu to Lower and Middle Juba. The 
Mogadishu-Beletweyne road remains highly insecure due to sporadic 
ambushes.

Displacement

While last week it was reported that more than 40,000 people had fled 
Mogadishu during the month of February due to rising insecurity and 
violence, thousands more are reported to have left the capital in recent 
days due to escalation of the military operations. Movement continued 
towards Afgoye and Lafoole ? where large new IDP populations from 
Mogadishu are already located ? and to central regions of Somalia. 
People are said to have fled Wardhigley, Yaqshid, Hodan and Howlwadag 
districts in south Mogadishu and, most recently, Abdulaziz and Shibis 
districts in north Mogadishu. Movement is also being triggered by 
yesterday's reported warning that residents of a particular 10km square 
area [containing 6,000 ? 8,000 families] should vacate their premises as 
large security operations are planned by Ethiopian/TFG forces.

The vulnerability of IDPs was once again underscored last Friday when 
another fire ravaged an IDP settlement, this time at Damayo in 
Mogadishu. Nearly all the shelters in the settlement were destroyed. 
Though everyone escaped the fire, more than 170 families were left 
homeless. Field reports and local media indicate that the blaze ? as was 
the case in Galkayo (Puntland) earlier this month ? was intentionally 
set, possibly by men who had visited the site the previous day, claiming 
to own the land and ordering IDPs to vacate it or face the consequences.

Access and Response

Given the rising IDP population in areas surrounding Mogadishu, 
humanitarian access to K50 airstrip is becoming increasingly urgent. K50 
has been inaccessible from early January. On numerous occasions since 
that time, the UN has requested of the TFG immediate use of K50 for 
humanitarian flights but is still awaiting an answer. The HC has also 
requested support and assistance in resuming humanitarian flights to 
Jowhar (Middle Shabelle), Merka (Lower Shabelle), Buale (Middle Juba), 
Jamame and Kismayo (Lower Juba).

The number of reported cases of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) in 
South/Central Somalia since 1 January 2007 stands at 5,602, with 251 
deaths. Monitoring and response by health partners to AWD continues in 
the affected regions of Hiran, Lower and Middle Shabelle, Gedo, Lower 
Juba and Benadir. However, response in Mogadishu has been affected 
during the week by the intense fighting in the city. Since 1 January 
2007, there have been 2,366 cases of AWD reported in Mogadishu, with 40 
deaths. (Field reports indicate that many IDPs seen leaving Mogadishu 
are suffering from AWD.) Although adequate supplies are on the ground to 
respond to the caseload, and four Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs) are 
operational in four Mogadishu hospitals, restricted movement within 
Mogadishu and lack of access to the city from outside is hindering 
response.

The Somaliland authorities on 22 March lifted the ban issued 17 March on 
flights into Somaliland from Puntland and South/Central Somalia. The 
authorities had cited fears of a cholera outbreak when issuing the ban.

Reports detailing response activities by cluster (Who does What Where) 
are available on the OCHA website at 
http://ochaonline2.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=5066

For further information, contact:

Molly McCloskey +254 727 659 100 or Rita Maingi +254 722 334 671
mccloskeym@un.org, maingir@un.org

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