OCHA Situation Report
Somalia
30 March 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Main Developments

Relative calm reigned in Mogadishu for five days following meetings late 
last week between Hawiye elders and Ethiopian troops which resulted in a 
truce. The truce came as the worst week of violence since ICU forces 
were ousted from the capital culminated in the shooting down of a 
AU-contracted cargo plane during take-off from Mogadishu on 23 March; 
all 11 Belarusian crew members aboard were killed. However, on 29 March, 
the truce was broken, reportedly when Ethiopian troops began an 
offensive to crush suspected anti-government forces. Major clashes ? 
involving tanks, heavy artillery and Ethiopian air strikes ? erupted in 
the south of the city. Heavy fighting continued today and an Ethiopian 
helicopter was shot down. At least 30 people are believed dead in the 
violence of the last two days and dozens more wounded. According to 
hospital officials in Mogadishu, most casualties are civilians caught in 
the crossfire between Ethiopian tanks and insurgents firing 
rocket-propelled grenades. UNHCR has stated that some of the dead are 
IDPs whose settlements were hit by rounds of mortar.

UNHCR has reported that on 22 March, at least 29 people died and 71 
others went missing after smugglers forced some 450 Somalis and 
Ethiopians into the sea during the journey from the northern Somali 
coast to Yemen. This incident follows another tragic episode in February 
when at least 107 bodies were found along a stretch of Yemen's coastline 
after the smugglers' boat capsized. Since January 2006, an estimated 
30,000 Somalis and Ethiopians have been smuggled to Yemen. Over 500 
people died during that period and at least 300 remain missing.

The most recent FEWS NET/Somalia Food Security Alert Update has 
highlighted an increased likelihood of near normal rainfall over much of 
Somalia during the coming Gu season (April-June). Given that most of 
Somalia received above normal Deyr rains (October-December 2006), near 
normal Gu rains should further improve crop production and rangeland 
conditions and enhance post-drought recovery. However, there is a high 
probability that some of the upper catchments of the Juba and Shabelle 
River valleys in the Ethiopian highlands will receive above normal Gu 
rains, meaning that another season of flooding downstream in riverine 
areas of southern Somalia may be imminent. While it is too early to 
determine the potential magnitude of Gu floods, renewed flooding will 
definitely exacerbate the current humanitarian emergency, especially in 
the Shabelle and Juba valley riverine areas, which are still recovering 
from Deyr floods of late 2006.

Displacement

UNHCR is estimating that displacement from Mogadishu during February and 
March due to insecurity and fighting has now reached 58,000. During 
March, an estimated 18,000 people fled the fighting; of these, over 
12,000 have moved since 21 March, when violence in the capital 
intensified. The vast majority of March movements (12,000) have been to 
Lower Shabelle, mostly Merka and Qoryooley. Nearly 1,000 have gone to 
Baidoa, and hundreds more are dispersed between Kismayo, Hargeisa, 
Beletweyne and Balad. Meanwhile, an estimated 2,500 people arrived in 
Galkayo (north and south) during the month of March. Most of the 
displaced coming from Mogadishu are women and children with relatives or 
clan links in the town. The influx is stretching already scarce 
resources. New arrivals are reporting that it is difficult for men to 
make the journey as it requires crossing clan lines, which would put 
them at risk of revenge killings. The new IDPs are also reporting that 
they are suffering harassment at checkpoints along the way, where their 
household goods are often looted. There have also been reports of rapes 
during the journey.

Access and Response

Between 1 January 2007 to 17 March, a total of 7976 cases of Acute 
Watery Diarrhea (AWD) have been confirmed, with 341 deaths in eight 
regions of South/Central Somalia: Hiran, Middle and Lower Shabelle, 
Banadir, Gedo, Bay, Galgudud and Lower Juba. Monitoring and response by 
health partners has continued in the affected regions. According to 
ICRC, the Somali Red Crescent Society ? with ICRC support ? opened five 
Oral Rehydration Treatment Centres in Mogadishu on 29 March. There are 
already four Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs) operated by other health 
partners in Mogadishu hospitals and treating more severe cases of AWD. 
However, restricted movement within Mogadishu and lack of access to the 
city from outside is hindering response in and around the city.

On 28 March, a multi-agency fact-finding mission (involving UNHCR, WFP, 
UNICEF, WHO, OCHA and UNFPA, as well as four TFG representatives) 
travelled to five IDP settlements between Mogadishu and Afgoye where new 
IDPs from Mogadishu have settled. The mission estimated that there were 
8,000- 9,000 families in the five settlements (though this number may 
have risen since due to fresh movement following the fighting of the 
last two days). Their immediate needs are water, shelter and health 
care. Numerous cases of diarrhea were reported, as well as some measles 
cases. The price of water in the sites is said to have risen seven-fold, 
and nearly all the functioning wells have reportedly developed technical 
problems, suggesting that major water and sanitation problems could be 
imminent. So far, response to new IDPs in this area has been impossible 
due to lack of access ? both because of prevailing insecurity and the 
fact that airports which would allow access to IDP populations remain 
off-limits.

In anticipation of the upcoming Gu rains and potential flooding, the 
Flood Working Group has been reactivated in Nairobi. Roles and 
responsibilities have been defined for agencies that will take the lead 
on flood response in the various areas of South/Central. UN agencies and 
local and international NGOs have mapped river embankment breakages as 
an early warning tool. HRF funds have been made available for river 
embankment repair projects and community-based early warning mechanisms.

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 Amanda di Lorenzo at
  +254 734 210 102; mccloskeym@un.org, dilorenzoa@un.org

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