U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-Up 352
18 - 24 November 2006


CONTENTS:

ETHIOPIA: Shortage of vaccines for meningitis
SOMALIA: Puntland to adopt Islamic law
SOMALIA: Flooding 'will affect food security'
SOMALIA: Unidentified birds raise avian flu fears
SUDAN: Sixteen die of meningitis in southern state
SUDAN: Fleeing civilians short of blankets and food
SUDAN: Moves to contain suspected avian flu in Juba


Also see:
HORN OF AFRICA: Agencies step up relief for flood victims at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56471


ETHIOPIA: Funeral associations - for the living as well as the dead at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56466

SOMALIA: Million-dollar drive for flood victims at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56463

SOMALIA: A question of balance at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56440



ETHIOPIA: Shortage of vaccines for meningitis

The Ethiopian health ministry is short of vaccines to contain the spread 
of meningitis that has so far claimed 10 lives in the Southern Nations 
Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR) and infected 612 more, a 
health update said on Monday.

A meningitis outbreak has been reported in Derashe and Selamago areas of 
Mursi in the SNNPR region. An earlier outbreak in Wolayita zone of the 
same region was contained due to the quick response of health ministry 
and humanitarian partners, according to the update by the United Nations 
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

[Full story 
at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56439]


SOMALIA: Puntland to adopt Islamic law

The authorities of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, 
northeastern Somalia, have agreed to adopt Shari'a law after Islamic 
leaders in the region recommended the move, local sources said.

The announcement was made by the authority after a committee of 
religious leader met the leader of Puntland, Gen. Muhammed Adde Muse, 
and recommended that Shari'a law be adopted in the region, Sheikh Fuad 
Mahamud, a member of the religious leaders said on Tuesday.

[Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56455]


SOMALIA: Flooding 'will affect food security'

Severe flooding over vast tracts of farmland in Somalia will 
significantly curtail harvests early in 2007, creating food shortages 
for numbers of people, an early warning agency said.

Somalia is facing its worst flooding in recent history after both the 
Juba and Shabelle rivers burst their banks in several locations. Floods 
have displaced communities, submerged villages, destroyed underground 
granaries, cut off feeder roads and washed away thousands of hectares of 
farmland in the Gedo, Juba Valley, Hiran and Shabele Valley regions. 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56438]


SUDAN: Sixteen die of meningitis in southern state

Preparations are under way to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people 
in the southern Sudanese county of Yei, Central Equatorial State, after 
an outbreak of meningitis killed 16 people, the United Nations World 
Health Organization (WHO) said.

The deaths occurred between 1 September and 8 November, the health 
agency said in a statement on Tuesday. Another 231 suspected cases have 
been reported.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56469]


SOMALIA: Unidentified birds raise avian flu fears

Dozens of unidentified birds have been found dead in a village in the 
Middle Shabelle region, south-central Somalia, raising fears of an 
outbreak of bird flu in the country, according to local sources in the 
regional capital Jowhar, 90 km north of the national capital, Mogadishu.

"Fifty-two birds arrived in the village of Eil Baraf [50 km dead north 
of Jowhar] 10 days ago," said Muhammad Ibrahim Malimow, a local 
resident. "They looked like ducks, so no one paid them any attention 
until they started dying."

He said this raised fears among the locals who "raised the alarm".

According to specialists, migratory birds play an important role in the 
spread of the deadly H5N1 flu virus.

Muhammad Ali, a veterinarian of the Somali Animal Health Service 
Project, who went to Eil Baraf to investigate, told IRIN that "the birds 
all had tags with Orint. Institute, Zagreb Croatia on them, which tells 
us that they were migratory birds from that country."

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56485]


SUDAN: Fleeing civilians short of blankets and food

Several thousand civilians who have fled armed militia attacks in 
Birmaza, North Darfur State, and sought shelter in nearby hills, have no 
blankets or food, and only limited access to water after bombings last 
week targeted water points, the United Nations said.

The attacks, allegedly carried out by Janjawid militias and Sudanese 
armed forces on 15 and 16 November, have been described by the African 
Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) as "a flagrant violation of the security 
provisions" of the Darfur peace agreement.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56442]


SUDAN: Moves to contain suspected avian flu in Juba

Thousands of domestic poultry have been destroyed in and around the 
southern Sudanese capital of Juba in an attempt to contain an avian flu 
threat reported in the region several months ago, officials said.

Samson Kwaje, the southern Sudan information minister, said a team had 
been visiting homes to check poultry and destroy suspected cases. The 
team would also determine how the affected farmers should be 
compensated.

[Full story at: 
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56437]


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Fax: +254 2 622129
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