OCHA Situation Report
Somalia
Monthly Analysis for March 2007
13 April 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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

HIGHLIGHTS

The situation in Mogadishu has become extremely alarming with grave 
humanitarian consequences for the civilian population. Due to what is 
generally considered the worst fighting in the last sixteen years, over 
200,000 people are estimated to have fled from Mogadishu between 1 
February and 10 April. Many more who lacked the means to leave have 
remained trapped in the city. Despite the ceasefire declared on 1 April 
(fighting recently resumed on 11 April), little confidence in the truce 
prompted people to continue moving out, including merchants who are 
reportedly leaving with their merchandise. Most of the displaced have 
headed south to Lower Shabelle, in particular to the districts of Merka 
and Afgoye. The majority are destitute women, children and elderly in 
dire need of water and sanitation, non-food items, food, health services 
and shelter; in some areas, people are renting trees. As they move, the 
displaced are reportedly subject to threats, intimidation, theft as well 
as rape.

Insecurity in and around the capital has obstructed humanitarian 
partners from scaling up the response to meet the vast needs of the 
displaced. While relief supplies are available in Mogadishu, insecurity 
prevents access to warehouses and so far response has been minimal. 
Harassment and detention of aid workers was also reported in early 
April. Strategically located airstrips such as K50 and Merka remain 
inaccessible despite repeated appeals to allow their use by humanitarian 
partners. Without access to these airstrips, overland transport of 
supplies to reach the displaced is the only option - a concern given 
continued insecurity. Along main roads in Middle and Lower Shabelle, 
ongoing banditry, presence of illegal checkpoints and free-lance militia 
all create security risks and cause delivery delays. Additionally, in 
early April, efforts to scale up the response have been obstructed as 
much by last minute administrative procedures requested by the 
authorities as by insecurity on the ground. On 7 April, a planned food 
distribution by WFP was prevented in Afgoye due to a request that all 
aid supplies must be inspected before distribution. In view of the 
present access deadlock, major water and sanitation problems (spreading 
of diarrhea and cholera) are expected. Moreover, if IGAD's Climate 
Outlook Forum forecast of strong Gu rains (particularly in the Ethiopian 
highlands) and ensuing flooding holds true, the situation could spiral 
into further human tragedy.

The spread of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) is taking its toll. Between 1 
January and 31 March 2007, 12,429 AWD cases have been confirmed 
throughout Southern and Central Somalia, including 414 related deaths. 
As of mid-April, the number had already risen to over 16,000. Since 
February, cases have been on the rise in Mogadishu/Benadir and in Lower 
Shabelle. In Mogadishu, the fighting has compounded already poor and 
congested sanitation facilities, reduced access to potable drinking 
water and health facilities, and caused a soaring of commodity prices, 
including water and medicines. In Middle Shabelle, the rise in AWD is 
attributed to the massive influx of IDPs from Mogadishu and the 
inadequate structures or resources in place to receive these.

Areas of northern and southern Somalia - as well as the Ethiopian 
highlands - received light (Gu) rains toward the end of March, which 
according to FAO/FSAU have contributed to good pasture conditions and 
availability of water, particularly in the Juba Valley. However, the 
humanitarian situation, particularly for the thousands of displaced 
around Mogadishu could get worse. Many river banks damaged during the 
Deyr floods, remain open today. Should the forecast for flooding hold, 
riverine communities and the displaced who live unsheltered along the 
main roads close to the Shabelle lower reaches will be at particular 
risk.

The Revised 2007 Somalia CAP for Somalia will be launched on 19 April, 
seeking around US$253 million, up from the original US$237 million 
requested in December 2006. The revision takes into account the 
reduction in number of people in need of assistance. In spite of this 
reduction, Somalia remains classified as Chronically Food Insecure and 
thus extremely vulnerable to any shocks - conflict or natural disaster. 
Additionally, the country faces the possibility of renewed fighting and 
flooding in the coming weeks, which may negatively impact on food 
security. The Revised Appeal includes post-flood infrastructure 
rehabilitation needs, disaster prevention opportunities, and new 
programmes to support Somali livelihoods. To date, the 2007 CAP has 
received over US$ 85 million. As usual, most of the assistance has gone 
toward the food sector (95% covered), while other critical sectors 
remain under-funded.

ACCESS and SECURITY

The situation in Mogadishu has become extremely alarming. During March 
2007, the city experienced a serious escalation of violence with grave 
humanitarian consequences for the civilian population. Fighting between 
opposition factions and TFG/Ethiopian troops that commenced in February 
deteriorated, and key installations suffered more attacks. Targeted 
assassinations have continued, including of human right defenders and 
individuals seen to support the TFG. The third week in March saw a 
distinct deterioration as soldiers' bodies were dragged through the 
streets and an AU-contracted cargo plane was shot down during take-off, 
killing all 11 Belarusian crew. A short-lived truce between Hawiye 
elders and Ethiopian troops brought about several days of tenuous calm. 
However, violence flared again on 29 March as Ethiopian troops launched 
an offensive to root out anti-TFG factions. Fighting at the end of month 
was reported to be the fiercest seen in the last sixteen years. Up to 
1,000 war wounded have been reported in the two main hospitals of 
Mogadishu since the beginning of the year, with almost 230 arriving in 
one day at the end of March.

Throughout the fighting, civilians have been caught in the crossfire and 
suffered the consequences. Thousands of residents have fled the city, 
some continuing to flee even after a second truce was declared by the 
Hawiye elders on 1 April. While it was hoped this recent period of calm 
would enable the delivery of assistance to the displaced, lack of access 
to Mogadishu, and neighbouring Afgoye and Merka districts of Lower 
Shabelle (where the majority of the displaced have moved to), has 
continued to severely hamper efforts to scale up the response to meet 
the vast needs.

In March, and so far in April, conditions within Mogadishu have severely 
restricted the mobility of aid workers to access civilians trapped in 
the capital, as well as relief supply warehouses. Insecurity has 
affected docking of ships and unloading of supplies (both commercial and 
aid) at Mogadishu's port. In Middle and Lower Shabelle, ongoing 
banditry, presence of illegal checkpoints and free-lance militia create 
security risks and cause delivery delays. On 20 March, a UN convoy 
traveling to Mogadishu overran a landmine near Afgoye checkpoint, 
injuring six people. On 4 and 5 April, aid workers in Afgoye and Merka 
were harassed and threatened by people claiming association with the 
TFG. Despite repeated requests to facilitate use of civilian airstrips 
such as K50 and Merka, the response has so far been negative. In the 
event that the Gu rains pick up in the coming days/weeks, and should 
roads thus become impassable, gaining access to these airstrips will be 
of paramount importance.

In an attempt to mobilize a response to meet the most urgent needs of 
the IDPs, some water trucking in Afgoye and Balad has started and 
partners are seeking to move supplies to accessible hubs, such as 
Baidoa, for onward transportation. Response efforts, however, have been 
undermined as much by last minute administrative procedures requested by 
the authorities as by insecurity on the ground. On 7 April, a food 
distribution by WFP in Afgoye to benefit 32,000 people was prevented due 
to a demand by the authorities that all aid supplies must be inspected 
before distribution. On 9 April, this instruction was followed by an 
official notification that no distribution can move ahead without prior 
approval by the authorities. While the humanitarian community recognizes 
the importance of full cooperation with the national authorities, it 
calls on all parties to respect the independence and neutrality of all 
aid workers and to protect their safety. Any access impediments to the 
displaced will result in increased suffering and potential loss of life.

Access to other areas of South Central during the reporting period saw 
some positive signs despite events in Mogadishu. Cargo flights continued 
to Buale (Middle Juba), Wajid (Bakool), Beletweyne (Hiran), Galkayo 
(Mudug) and Baidoa (Bay), while passenger flights traveled to Jamame and 
Afmadow (Lower Juba), Luuq and Dolow (Gedo) in addition to the above. 
Jowhar airstrip (Middle Shabelle) was recently opened for day trips for 
UN staff. Cargo flights, provided by the UN Humanitarian Air Service 
(UNHAS), have been subsidized through a CERF allocation which expired at 
the end of March 2007. The allocation was granted in late 2006 to 
provide logistical capacity during the floods when roads became 
impassable. In order to respond to the present displacement crisis, and 
with projections of possible flooding during the approaching Gu season, 
means of extending such cargo services are being looked into. In Bardere 
(Gedo), rains in early April have already started to cause transport 
delays of up to four days.

During the second week of March, Ethiopian troops left the Juba regions 
reportedly moving north to Afgoye. Ethiopian presence - coupled with 
their ongoing military operations - had severely restricted humanitarian 
access to the underserved regions since the flooding last year. While 
security in the Jubas remains volatile, discussions were held with the 
local authorities in mid-March with a view to re-engaging in the area. 
Kismayo (Lower Juba) airstrip is now open for day trips upon clearance.

Meanwhile, since early March, cross-border movement of aid supplies at 
El Wak and Mandera (Kenya) has proceeded without major problems or 
delays. That said, the Kenyan border, which was closed by the Kenyan 
Government in early January 2007, is still preventing cross-border 
movement of potential asylum seekers. In terms of supply pipelines, 
after some difficulty in contracting a ship (arising from a piracy 
incident in February), 2,400 metric tones of WFP food waiting in 
Tanzania finally reached Merka in the course of March. More acts of 
piracy on commercial vessels have meanwhile occurred in the early days 
of April.

Building on new access opportunities in Galkayo, a UN inter-agency 
mission traveled to the area between 2-4 April to meet with local 
authorities, the business community and civil society members on a range 
of projects. These include a UNDP Rule of Law and Security (ROLS) 
programme to provide police training and construction of a police 
station in South Galkayo; moving forward on UNICEF projects for the 
delivery of piped water from the North to the South; as well as 
finalisation of an agreement for the construction of a community "Peace 
School' serving both North and South Galkayo.

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