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 391
21 - 27 July 2007


CONTENTS:

ETHIOPIA: Government denies looming humanitarian crisis in Somali
   region
ETHIOPIA-SOMALIA: New camp opened for Somali refugees
SOMALIA: IDPs in dire need as more flee violence
SOMALIA: Inflation sparks protest in Puntland capital
SOMALIA: Security restored in Bakara market
SUDAN: Flooding reaching unprecedented levels
SUDAN: Fresh attacks on humanitarian staff hamper relief efforts in
   Darfur


ETHIOPIA: Government denies looming humanitarian crisis in Somali region

The Ethiopian government has denied blocking aid and trade to parts of 
its southeastern Somali region but analysts and aid agencies say 
humanitarian access is limited and rising prices of food are evidence of 
security-related restrictions.

"It is a lie. It is far from the truth. There is no humanitarian 
operation we have banned. We are not closing any route of humanitarian 
operation; however, we closed the illegal trade routes crossing the 
border," Jama Ahmed Jama, vice-president of the Somali regional state, 
told IRIN.

Since May, analysts and media reports say the government has stepped up 
security operations to combat the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front 
(ONLF), including tightening controls on the flow of goods and people 
within the region, with neighbouring Somalia and with the rest of 
Ethiopia.

The Ogaden area is in the southern part of the Somali region. Ethiopian 
security forces have been accused of a range of serious human rights 
abuses in the operation. Peter Takirambudde, Africa director of Human 
Rights Watch (HRW), is quoted in a 4 July report saying: "Ethiopian 
troops are destroying villages and property, confiscating livestock and 
forcing civilians to relocate. Whatever the military strategy behind 
them, these abuses violate the laws of war."

Full report: 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73431


ETHIOPIA-SOMALIA: New camp opened for Somali refugees

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has started relocating about 4,000 Somali 
refugees to a reopened refugee camp at Teferi Ber in eastern Ethiopia. 
The camp was closed in 2001 after its previous population of Somali 
refugees were repatriated.

Kisut Gebre Egziabher, senior public information assistant at UNHCR, 
told IRIN that about 2,000 refugees had been moved from an overcrowded 
camp at Kebribeyah, 120km south, where they had been staying after 
fleeing fighting between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and 
the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) in central and southern Somalia last 
year. "It will take another 15 days to relocate the other 2,000 refugees 
from Kebribeyah," he said.

Full report: 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73418


SOMALIA: IDPs in dire need as more flee violence

Local authorities in Belet Hawo, Gedo region, on the southwestern border 
with Kenya, are urging international aid agencies to help up to 18,000 
displaced people who have sought refuge there.

"We have registered about 3,000 families [18,000 people] from March to 
June. There was a lull when the number of arrivals almost stopped in 
late May, but since the beginning of July close to 1,000 families [6,000 
individuals] have arrived and they continue to arrive," Ahmed Mohamed 
Burkuus, Belet Hawo District Commissioner, told IRIN on 23 July.

He said every vehicle arriving in the town in July was bringing more 
people fleeing the fighting in Mogadishu. The fighting pits 
Ethiopian-backed government troops against insurgents.

Full report: 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73364


SOMALIA: Inflation sparks protest in Puntland capital

At least five people were injured when security forces opened fire on 
protesters demonstrating over crippling inflation rates linked to an 
influx of fake currency in the self-declared autonomous region of 
Puntland, northeastern Somalia, local sources said.

Nearly 3,000 people, angry at soaring prices and exchange rates, 
converged on the Puntland presidential compound in the regional capital, 
Garowe, Ahmed Abdisalam, of the Daily Puntland Post newspaper, said on 
26 July. "Unmanageable inflation was the main reason for the 
demonstration," he said. "There has been a flood of fake Somali currency 
into the region since the beginning of June, which has caused the 
inflation rates."

Full report: 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73432


SOMALIA: Security restored in Bakara market

Trading has resumed in the Bakara market, the main business centre in 
Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after weeks of violence and security 
restrictions.

"The market is open for business and there are no restrictions of any 
kind hampering its activities," government spokesman Abdi Haji Gobdon 
told IRIN on 25 July.

Bakara was under siege by Ethiopian-backed government forces for nearly 
three weeks while they scoured the area for illegal weapons. The 
government said the market was a hide-out for insurgents.

Full report: 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73402


SUDAN: Flooding reaching unprecedented levels

Floods that have already left thousands of families homeless in Sudan 
have reached a critical stage in several states, an official from the 
government's emergency response committee said.

"The river levels have exceeded those of previous years, especially in 
the Nile River state [northern Sudan]," said General Awad Widatallah 
Hussein, spokesman for the committee, on 26 July.

The government Humanitarian Aid Commission reported on 24 July that the 
level of the Blue Nile at Khartoum, the capital, was "far above" the 
record levels seen at this time of year in 1988. Readings from several 
monitoring stations show the Nile to be more than a metre higher than in 
1988. At least 59 people have been killed and more than 35,000 families 
left homeless by rains and floods affecting 12 of the 26 states, he 
said.

Full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73438


SUDAN: Fresh attacks on humanitarian staff hamper relief efforts in 
Darfur

Gunmen have stepped up attacks on aid workers and food convoys in 
Sudan's Darfur region, disrupting relief aid to millions of people, 
according to agencies.

Incidents include the harassment of humanitarian workers, abductions and 
commandeering of vehicles.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said humanitarian staff from UN agencies 
and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had difficulty 
distributing food in Darfur because of the attacks.

"Carjacking and robbery of UN and NGO convoys have increased in the week 
from 17 to 23 July, with a total of three carjackings and eight attacks 
on convoys," UNMIS spokesperson, Radhia Achouri said.

Full report: 
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=73410


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