OCHA Situation Report
Somalia
25 May 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Main Developments

Sporadic insecurity continued in Mogadishu, some involving remote-controlled 
and roadside bombs. On 20 May, the Mayor of Mogadishu survived what is thought 
to have been an assassination attempt when a hand grenade was thrown at his 
convoy in north Mogadishu. At least two civilians were reported killed in the 
attack and one man shot dead by the Mayor's bodyguards. On the same day, a 
roadside bomb exploded when a convoy of TFG troops was passing through Yaqshid 
district in north Mogadishu; three civilians were wounded. On 21 May, a land 
mine detonated as a convoy of Ethiopian troops was passing through Mogadishu.

An upsurge in piracy off the Somali coast is affecting WFP's ability to 
transport food assistance by sea. In the latest incident, a WFP-chartered 
vessel was attacked on 19 May after it had delivered 4,000 MTs of food to 
Merka. The hijacking attempt failed but a Somali guard was killed. The agency 
has not suspended sea transport of aid but is encountering serious difficulties 
in contracting ships to move food to Somalia. Meanwhile, recent WFP food 
distributions in and around Mogadishu have proceeded without incident.

Displacement and Returns

All reports of movement during the month of May have been of returns to 
Mogadishu. Information received indicates that approximately 90,000 people 
displaced by the recent conflict have so far gone back to the capital. However, 
the numbers may be higher and UNHCR is continuing to receive reports. The vast 
majority of those who have returned are coming from the areas around Mogadishu 
in Lower and Middle Shabelle. There is said to be growing pressure on the 
coping mechanisms of residents of Mogadishu due to, among other things, rising 
food prices. FAO/FSAU have reported that the supply and price of imported food 
commodities within the Mogadishu market catchment area is continuing to rise 
because of a slow-down of activities in Mogadishu resulting from insecurity, 
marine piracy, new port tariffs, and the disruption of informal trade and the 
casual labour market in the city. Increasing roadblocks are further restricting 
trade flow and contributing to rising transport costs.

Access and Response

Due to current safety risks posed by the condition of the runway at Wajid 
airstrip, UNCAS will begin emergency rehabilitation works in the coming days. 
The work is expected to last for 8 weeks; the runway should be fully 
operational again by the middle or end of July 2007. During that period, only 
Caravans will be able to operate to and from Wajid airstrip. UNCAS passengers 
travelling to Wajid on larger planes will have to transit via Baidoa. 
Meanwhile, UNCAS has temporarily suspending flight services to Buale and 
Galkayo due to security concerns.

WFP began a second round of food distribution on 24 May for 32,000 IDPs in 
Afgoye and is beginning distribution today for 9,000 IDPs in Qoryoley. The 
second rounds of distributions to IDPs have been completed in Mogadishu (26,000 
pp) and Merka (30,000 pp), and the first round was has been completed in Brava 
(13,500 pp). WFP also began food distribution on 24 May to 13,000 IDPs in 
Baidoa.

NRC, in collaboration with CONCERN and LNGO Somali Youth for Peace and 
Democracy (SYPD), began distribution yesterday to 1,500 IDP families (9,000pp) 
in six sites in south Mogadishu. The distribution, which is proceeding with no 
major issues, is a pilot exercise, and lessons learned will enable partners to 
more effectively undertake distributions in the near future in Mogadishu. 
Smaller settlements that had so far received no assistance were targeted, and 
the majority of families benefiting were part of the long-term IDP population 
of Mogadishu who were unable to leave during the recent conflict.

While the first phase of response prioritised delivery of assistance to the 
most vulnerable IDPs near Mogadishu, as people begin to return to the city, 
response focus will shift to provision of basic social services. Partners are 
meeting to discuss methodologies for conducting distributions in Mogadishu in 
order to ensure harmonisation of humanitarian assistance among agencies 
planning or considering distributions in Mogadishu.

Following the recent Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocation of 
US$2.7 million to UNICEF and UNHCR for projects benefiting IDPs, a CERF grant 
of US$2.9 million has been allocated to WFP through the Rapid Response window 
for Air Support of Drought, Flood and Conflict Response. The project will cover 
emergency rehabilitation of Wajid airstrip, air transport of relief items, and 
cost-reduced passenger flights. These allocations are part of the US$10 million 
recently set aside by the Emergency Relief Coordinator for Rapid Response 
capacity under the CERF.

Family Relief Kits (FRKs) for 654 families in Baidoa who were recently 
displaced from Mogadishu, were distributed on 21 May. The kits were provided by 
UNICEF and distributed by Somali community-based organization DMO, with the 
help of UNICEF and UNHCR. It was observed that there is a need to strengthen 
sanitation and hygiene programmes in the IDP sites, as well as nutrition 
interventions. Meanwhile, more than 6,000 UNICEF FRKs have reached Mogadishu 
from Mombasa and are now being transported to Merka. CARE will distribute the 
FRKs to IDPs in Merka and Brava in the coming days.

In Somaliland, a joint distribution of NFIs and food was carried out by UNICEF, 
UNHCR and WFP on 17 May for 60 families whose shelters were destroyed by recent 
heavy rains and wind. The families were living in the vicinity of Masallaha, 
near Hargeisa airport.

For further information, contact:

Amanda Di Lorenzo (mob) +254 734 210 102, dilorenzoa@un.org
Rita Maingi (mob) +254 722 334 671, maingir@un.org

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