UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN Monthly Analysis October 2005

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

OVERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS Sea piracy continues to be rife off the coast of Southern Somalia affecting commercial as well as humanitarian activities. A second Kenyan vessel carrying WFP food aid was hijacked on 12 October in the port of Merka and released two days later. The second food aid cargo to be hijacked in four months, WFP is looking to find alternative routes to bring food stocks into Somalia, including overland from Kenya and through Djibouti. The temporary halt of ocean transport is also impacting on the availability of fuel in south Somali, affecting flights and humanitarian access into Somalia. Alternate supply avenues are being explored.

Meanwhile, activities by extremist groups in Somalia are becoming a growing concern and could well become an increasing challenge in terms of UN aid operations and access throughout the country. October started bleakly in terms of security with the brutal assassination of the UNDSS national security officer on 3 October in Kismayo. The assassination put an abrupt end to the just prior resumption of UN presence in the area and an opportunity for renewed access in the valley.

Delayed and below normal 2005 Deyr rains in southern Somalia are causing increased concern. Patchy rainfall has been received in certain regions, however low rainfall in areas of , Middle and Lower Juba is causing a severe shortage of water affecting rangeland and livestock. Should the trend continue, and given the severe 2005 Gu crop losses, there will be major implications for food security in southern Somalia. FSAU is classifying most of southern Somalia to be at Moderate Risk of Humanitarian Emergency. During the 2006 CAP consultations, aid partners agreed that the humanitarian response in 2006 will focus in particular on the needs along the Juba Valley. These latest developments highlight the need for concerted efforts particularly in light of, and despite limited humanitarian access to the area.

Having said this, the possibility of flooding is still a reality. Since the heavy 2005 Gu floods in June and July, river levels have remained high on both the Shabelle and Juba rivers and the soils along the embankment, saturated. Heavy rains in the Ethiopian catchments or within Somali could still cause floods to rapidly develop on both rivers, especially along the riverine areas where flood irrigation is being practiced due to the poor rains. Aid agencies have set out to strengthen the coordination network along the Juba Valley to enhance preparedness and response in the eventuality of flooding in the coming month.

Thousands of Ethiopians migrants have arrived in Puntland only to become stranded. According to an inter-agency assessment in Bossaso, around 3,000 migrants are presently living in dire humanitarian conditions without proper hygiene facilities, water and food. Most have traveled in search of better economic opportunities or with plans to travel on to Yemen by boat. Some claimed they were fleeing Ethiopia for political reasons. Around 80% of those interviewed claimed they are willing to return home but lack the means to do so. Aid partners are in the process of providing immediate life-saving assistance through local organisations.

Since the first case appeared in September 2005, the number of confirmed polio cases in Somalia has reached 42 - all of them in the Benadir area. Avid emergency campaigns continue by WHO, UNICEF and other local and international partners to target about 1.5 million children under five years old. Efforts will continue throughout November and December 2005 to obtain as much coverage as possible.

The Somali Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) is about to start. The composition of the JNA team is being finalized and an Inception Retreat will take place in late November 2005 to launch the process. The JNA will build upon what is accomplished in the humanitarian sector and for this reason donors must continue to act concertedly to meet humanitarian needs so that they do not weaken reconstruction and development efforts. The 2005 Somalia CAP is presently roughly 46% covered.

ACCESS and SECURITY Sea piracy continues to be rife off the coast of Southern Somalia affecting commercial as well as humanitarian activities. A second Kenyan vessel carrying WFP food aid destined for riverine communities in the Lower Juba was hijacked on 12 October in the port of Merka but thankfully released two days later. On 20 October, yet another commercial cargo ship was hijacked off the Somali coast as it sailed from South Africa to Europe. Three Taiwanese fishing vessels are still held hostage since June 2005 with 47 crew members of mixed nationalities on the island of Koyaama southwest of Kismayo. Another vessel with a Ukrainean crew is held off the port of Eyl. More than twenty boats have been hijacked off the Somali coast since March of this year and the trend does not appear to be decreasing. Prime Minister Gedi has made two appeals to the international community to help address this issue. Kenyan vessel owners are becoming very reluctant to use the southern Somali waters and are asking for armed escort to deliver WFP commodities or UN relief. The temporary halt of sea transport is also impacting on the availability of fuel in south Somali, directly affecting the humanitarian flights into the area. The southern Somali coastline is one of the most dangerous in the world and WFP’s operations in southern Somalia have felt the consequences. The Agency is thus exploring alternative transport routes, including overland from Kenya and via Djibouti, to reach those in desperate need of food assistance.

On 27 October, an aviation edict placed a ban on all flights from Nairobi to Merka and Daynile airstrips in Somalia, however, confusion over its application has affected flights going to other destinations in Somalia. Given the security and humanitarian implications of such an air ban, and to secure unrestricted access for humanitarian assistance, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia has requested the Kenyan Authorities for an exemption on the ban for all humanitarian flights into Somalia.

In the wake of the parliamentary elections, the overall security situation in the northwest remained calm throughout the month with no reported security incidents following the arrest of seven men linked to terrorist organizations in September. Activities by extremist groups in Somalia are becoming a growing concern and could well become an increasing challenge in terms of UN operations and presence throughout the country. In Mogadishu, reports suggest that the Sharia Court militia continue to expand their areas of influence in the city. UN activities continue despite on-going individually targeted assassinations and increasing criminal acts.

The security situation in central and southern areas remained tense and volatile, starting with the brutal assassination of the UNDSS national security officer on 3 October in Kismayo, which brought an abrupt end to the just prior resumption of UN presence in the area. The Juba Valley Alliance (JVA) was quick to join the international community in condemning the murder and established a committee to investigate the matter. All UN staff was immediately relocated and Kismayo is presently a no-go location until further notice. This incident marks a real set-back, not only in the tragedy of the loss of a life, but also in terms of opportunities for re-engagement in an area considered in a critical humanitarian emergency. In view of this emerging security challenge, UN agencies are looking into ways of minimizing the risk to staff and operations while at the same time continuing to meet the needs of affected populations.

In Jowhar, the presence of a large number of militia who had arrived from Puntland via Ethiopia in September continues to create added tension. The threat by several of the TFG ministers currently based in Mogadishu to attack Jowhar has not disappeared. Still, subsequent to the temporary relocation of international staff from Jowhar in September, reduced numbers of UN staff members returned to their duty station in early October. Baidoa, on the other hand, remains closed to UN international staff, as the long-expected peace talks between Muhammad Ibrahim “Habsade” and Hassan Muhammad Nur “Shatigaduud” have yet to commence.

While access to Bardera, Garbaharey and Dolow in Gedo region are open to UN operations, access to El Wak remains obstructed due to the stalemate in the peace agreement between the Gare and Marehan. Subsequent to the OCHA-led inter-agency mission to Mandera (Kenya) and El Wak, in late September, agencies were ready to mobilize a response to address identified needs. The response, however, was indefinitely postponed due to a series of security incidents. Two hand grenades were thrown into CARE’s compound in El Wak Kenya and a van carrying Gare and Marehan representatives exploded over a landmine killing five people. Despite these incidents, the peace agreement seems to be holding as Gare and Marehan TFG representatives have agreed to meet again in Mandera with a broader range of stakeholders to cement the peace agreement.

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 2 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150

In the northeast, while UN operations proceeded as normal, tension was on the increase due to inter and intra-clan fighting as well as politically motivated incidents. Some members of the community are attributing increased crime rates to the influx of economic and illegal migrants. A specific incident due to unpaid salary caused an ECHO aircraft to turn back at Garowe’s airstip as an airstrip guard threatened to shoot the aircraft. The guard was immediately arrested and the airstrip secured. On-going tension over border disputes in eastern Sool and Sanaag, continues to limit the presence of humanitarian actors in these regions, particularly in Hudun and Taleh.

PROTECTION Despite the inter-agency mission which took place at the end of September and preparations by aid agencies to provide assistance and protection to communities in El Wak, Gedo, the response has been indefinitely postponed due to above-mentioned security incidents. It is hoped that a rejuvenation and consolidation of the peace agreement will enable assistance to proceed. El Wak district has been closed to UN agencies since the clan fighting in April of this year and very little assistance has reached the affected by organizations such as the Somali Red Crescent Society. Furthermore, anywhere between 17,000 and 27,000 Somalis who had fled across the border are still in Kenya waiting to return. Of particular concern are reports that since the signing of the peace agreement in late September, Somali refugees in Kenya are being pressured into returning to Somalia without guarantee of there being adequate conditions for them to do so. The matter is being followed by agencies operating in Kenya to ensure that there is no forced repatriation.

Economic Migrants in Puntland In early September 2005, the Minister of Interior of the Puntland State addressed a letter to UNHCR appealing for assistance in dealing with numerous economic migrants from Ethiopia. Thousands of Ethiopians have arrived in the area and became stranded in Bossaso among other cities. Large numbers continue to arrive. While this type of movement is seasonal, the number of people involved this year has increased and is causing major problems. Many arrive in Bosasso in the hope of finding better opportunities or catching a boat onto Yemen. Instead, without a job to sustain themselves, they remain stranded with no shelter, food or access to basic services. While the responsibility for the humanitarian situation of the migrants lies with the Puntland authorities, the Nairobi- based Protection and IDP Working Group agreed to field an inter-agency mission to Bossaso in late October 2005 to assess the situation and identify what immediate assistance could be provided.

Agencies visited five sites where around 3,000 migrants are concentrated: one site claimed to host as many as 1000-2000 Ethiopians while the others host between 100 and 500. The majority are young single men. Most of the sites are undeveloped lacking proper hygiene and sanitation facilities, water and food. Interviews were also conducted with unaccompanied female migrants to review specific protection needs. The majority of those interviewed confirmed they had come to Bossaso in search of jobs or considered crossing illegally to Yemen. Some others – Oromo – claimed they were fleeing Ethiopia for political reasons. At all five sites, 80% of those interviewed claimed they were ready to return home but lack the means to do so.

The conclusions of the assessment confirmed dire humanitarian situation of primarily Ethiopian migrants stranded in Bossaso. UNICEF, WFP, UNOCHA, RRIDP and DRC agreed to provide immediate life-saving assistance to vulnerable Ethiopians in the town through local organisations. DRC agreed to complement WFP’s food provision, while UNICEF will work with the municipality to identify locations where public toilets/latrines can be constructed, and distribute medical supplies to the MCH in Bossaso. Currently, thanks to voluntary contributions, elders selected by mosques have been providing meals in about ten sites (each servicing about 150- 400 Ethiopians daily) but this service only lasted through Ramadan. Agencies agreed that the same mechanism should be used for food distribution once Ramadan was over. In terms of longer term assistance, IOM has been contacted to look into providing assistance to those who want to return to Ethiopia.

The eviction of IDPs from public buildings by the JVA in Kismayo which started last month, reportedly goes on. Due to the relocation of all UN staff from Kismayo in early October, exact developments have been hard to monitor, however, according to reports, around 312 families have been evicted without any alternative shelter options and the District Commissioner of Kismayo claims around 107 more will be evicted after Ramadan. Field reports state that some IDPs have crossed into Kenya on account of a rumour that a new UNHCR verification

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 3 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150 exercise is going on in Daadab refugee camp. UNHCR Kenya has confirmed the exercise which is likely being interpreted as an opportunity for resettlement.

During a mission to Hargeisa, OCHA met with the Minister of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement to discuss the status of IDPs from southern Somalia in Somaliland. The Somaliland authorities regard such displaced as refugees while aid agencies consider them as internally displaced. During the meeting, both finally agreed to consider them as displaced and thus in need of assistance and/or protection. Discussions were also held with the Legal Clinic in Hargeisa to initiate a process involving civil society and the authorities to adopt humanitarian principles into local/national legislation. The Legal Clinic is under the Faculty of Law, University of Hargeisa and was established in November 2002 with support from UNDP and UNHCR. Currently, the Clinic is handling around twelve IDP/minority cases mainly on issues related to land disputes, personal security and arbitrary arrest. Still, despite its efforts, the Clinic is out of reach of most vulnerable groups who live on the outskirts of the city and its task is made harder by the continued absence of mechanisms to facilitate systematic collection and analysis of protection related data.

RETURN and RESETTLEMENT Since the beginning of 2005, UNHCR has facilitated the return of 8,510 Somalis. No returns were actually registered during the course of October but new convoys are scheduled before the end of the year. Around 6,300 Somalis from Djibouti are expected to be returned to Somaliland, while another 400 will be cleared from Kenya (Dadaab refugee camp), Yemen and Eritrea to Puntland.

More assistance is needed in the seven IDP/Returnee settlements in Hargeisa. ‘Mohamed Mooge’, ‘Sheikh Nuur’ and ‘Aw’Aden’ are permanent, municipality-planned settlements where the majority of residents own land. On the other hand, ‘State House’ and ‘Stadium’ are both temporary settlements where the authorities are planning to reallocate the residents to other parts of Hargeisa. Residents in ‘Ayaha 2’ are still struggling due to their relatively recent arrival (August 2004), while ‘Daami’ remains among the most unfortunate sites. NRC has completed the construction of 24 low-cost housing units in ‘Mohamed Mogeh’, following that of 20 houses in ‘Ayaha’ and 32 in ‘Gacan Libah’. Selection of the beneficiaries took place on 18 October through a lottery exercise at Hargeisa Municipality. Ultimately, NRC plans to provide a total of 170 low-cost housing units to relocate families from ‘State House’. While positive, this still only amounts to less than 10% of the total population of ‘State House’ and progress depends on land being made available by the authorities. In the interim, NRC and UNICEF are currently setting up temporary school tents in ‘State House’.

The relocation plan for residents of ‘State House’ (3,300 households) and ‘Stadium’ (750 households) must speed up. Progress is being made in ‘Ayaha’ where UNHCR and CARE finalized the construction of a primary school with four classrooms; UNDP facilitated the operation of ‘Ayaha’ market; and UNHABITAT is making progress in building housing blocks within its shelter project (44 houses), through which 149 men and 67 women have received training on construction skills, and alongside which WFP is implementing a ‘Food for Work’ scheme for the construction workers. UNHABITAT and NRC have also agreed to elaborate a set of basic principles for use by all organisations involved in sustainable shelter programmes in order to ensure harmony of methods across partners and avoid frustration among the beneficiaries.

In Bosasso, follow-up discussions on the relocation of IDPs/returnees/urban poor took place on 22 October between a UN-Taskforce lead by UNHABITAT, and the Local Council and other key stakeholders. The meetings were broadcast on local TV and radio, followed by live debates on TV in the days after that. Two main working tracks have been defined: (i) making land available for resettlement and; (ii) improving living conditions of IDPs/returnees/urban poor in their current place of displacement. Lead by the Bosasso City Council, committees were set up on both issues involving councillors, traditional and religious leaders, landowners and other key community leaders. The first committee will review land donations made so far and work towards their legalization, while at the same time raising awareness on the need for more land donations. The second committee - working on improving present living locations - will map out existing problems and negotiate improvements with the respective landowners.

While much progress has been achieved in the shelter situation in Bosasso, there is little prospect of improvement in Galkayo in the short term. The authorities do not have the means to provide shelter, although they do have an

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 4 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150 operational Land Department that is responsible for land management in town and its surroundings. Currently, most IDPs are located between the divided northern and a southern sections of Galkayo, each with its separate administration with a smaller IDP community on the eastern edge of town.

For South-Central Somalia, which hosts the largest number of IDPs in the three Somali zones, the situation remains even more unpredictable. The Joint Needs Assessment that is scheduled to take place in the coming months should provide more information on the shelter situation of IDPs and other vulnerable groups in the main central and southern cities.

HEALTH The number of polio cases has continued to rise. At the moment of writing 42 cases had been confirmed all in the Benadir area, detected by ongoing WHO’s surveillance system. Since the threat of polio spreading from neighboring countries became a reality in June 2005, aid agencies have been undertaking monthly polio vaccination campaigns in Somalia. Following confirmation of one case in Mogadishu, a joint WHO/UNICEF emergency campaign commenced in September targeting about 1.5 million children under five years old nationwide. Out of these, 278,191 are in Mogadishu. Two more emergency campaigns are planned for early November and December 2005 targeting the same number of children. Coverage results range from 70 to 100% with an average of 80%.

Preparations are almost complete for a measles vaccination campaign for northern Somalia. This is the first coordinated effort to vaccinate all children between six months and fifteen years old against measles, thus substantially decreasing the burden of the disease among the child population. Southern and central regions will be covered in early 2006.

Cholera prevention activities continue as a joint and coordinated effort by WHO/UNICEF with a number of local and international NGOs and community based organizations in all the susceptible areas. Special emphasis is being given to chlorination of wells and health education activities. Despite a couple of confirmed cholera cases (no reported deaths) in Jowhar in October, for the first time since 1994, there has been no widespread outbreak of cholera in Somalia in 2005.

As reported last month, the nutrition status of IDPs/returnees in settlement sites in Hargeisa has improved. According to preliminary results of a survey conducted in September 2005 the Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate is at 7.6% as compared to 15.3% in 2003. Still, by WHO standards these rates are still within the alert zone of 5.0% to 9.9% and concern exists that the general improvement might obscure deteriorating conditions at specific sites such as ‘Daami’. Aid agencies expressed hope that the final results would highlight different levels of vulnerabilities across the different settlements to enable a better understanding of needs.

HIV/AIDS The last months have witnessed several achievements in the local HIV/AIDS response in Somaliland and Puntland many of which have been reached thanks to continuing political commitment by Somalis. Following the establishment of the National AIDS Commission (NAC) in Somaliland in September, October saw the launch of the Puntland AIDS Commission (PAC). Both local coordination authorities have established secretariats, which have developed an action plan for immediate implementation.

There has been a visible increase in highest level leadership, and strengthened civil society involvement. Somaliland has allocated local resources for the HIV/AIDS response; HIV/AIDS presidential decrees in Somaliland and Puntland have been officially published; multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS coordination structures have been formed; and religious leaders are increasingly becoming involved. In both zones, the HIV response has moved from a health sector response to a multi-sectoral response – developing closer cooperation between Ministries of Religion, Education, Health, Information, Culture, Family Welfare and Social Development with civil society organizations including women’s and youth groups, media, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The political and community commitment on HIV/AIDS is tangible and now together with the TFG, plans are underway to establish an HIV/AIDS Commission for Central/South.

There is an increasing interest and demand by top policy makers including the public sector, civil society organizations and the religious sector, to play a greater role in the management of the response. Support for Somali Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 5 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150 leadership and the building of Somali capacities, is fully in line with the aims of the UN system, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and major donors. Similar efforts are being promoted in the Joint Needs Assessment. In Somaliland and Puntland, the local response is increasingly being coordinated and managed by the Somalis with plans of action and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms being built. PLWHA have been identified as crucial in the planning and management of the HIV/AIDS response. In November, PLWHA from Somaliland, Puntland and Central South will attend training and advocacy workshops in Algeria and Cairo, supported by UNAIDS and UNDP so as to increase their participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Somalia.

December 1, 2005 celebrates World Aids Day. In Somalia, the Day’s theme will be ‘Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise” based on the declaration of commitment agreed in June 2001 when governments unanimously set targets and goals to fight HIV/AIDS. The commitments from the declaration include prevention campaigns, reducing stigma, build health infrastructures, providing necessary resources and ensuring treatment, care and respect for PLWHA. In Puntland and Somaliland respectively, the PAC and the NAC are commencing planning activities for the Day’s events.

LIVELIHOOD and FOOD SECURITY With the exception of patchy rainfall in , Hiran and Bay regions, little rainfall in areas of Gedo, Middle and Lower Juba east of the Juba river, preceded by a below 2005 Gu rainfall, is causing a severe shortage of water severely depleting rangeland and livestock conditions. Should the trend continue, and given the severe 2005 Gu crop losses, total annual crop production and cereal availability will also be affected with major implications for food security in southern Somalia. It is too early to predict the overall Deyr performance, yet the late and below normal start of the season, is cause for real concern. FSAU is classifying most of southern Somalia to be at Moderate Risk of Humanitarian Emergency.

According to a recent assessment by FAO’s Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU), agro-pastoralists and pastoralists in Gedo and the Jubas are at high risk of an Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis within the coming months if the Deyr rains are below normal or fail. Pasture and water is now severely depleted, livestock conditions are weak (with some reported deaths) and cattle prices have significantly reduced. Since the low performance of the Gu rains, pastoralists and their livestock – a significant portion of which field reports say are from Kenya - have been converging on riverine areas in search of better conditions. Normally, livestock should have moved away from riverine areas at this time of year, yet the poor rain is making them stay which adds another layer of stress on the riverine communities (in turn still recovering from the Gu flooding) and their resources.

Meanwhile, in Bay region, FSAU says an estimated 94,000 people are now in a state of Acute Food and Livelihood Crisis – a deterioration from the previous alert status in September 2005. The deterioration is a result of high levels of livelihood asset loss caused by clan conflict, 2005 Gu crop failure, compounded by the present low Deyr performance which is also causing poor pasture conditions. Sentinel site surveillance by FSAU and the Somali Red Crescent Society in mid October in the districts of Berdaale, Baidoa, Qansaxdheere and Dinsor districts, also found extremely high levels of acute malnutrition.

Paradoxically, flooding along the Juba riverine area still remains a possibility. Following the heavy Gu floods in June and July 2005, the river levels have remained high on both the Shabelle and Juba rivers and the soil is still saturated. Heavy rains, either in the Ethiopian catchments or within Somalia would seriously compound the situation of flood affected riverine communities. Flooding would also affect the conditions of the newly arrived pastoralists and their livestock. Careful monitoring of the rivers will be required over the next four to eight weeks.

Given reports of localized incidences of flooding in Lower Juba in early October, the inter-agency Flood Working Group met to discuss preparedness measures. Discussions focused mainly on the Juba and partners decided that the aid community should organise itself along the lines of the Jowhar Floods Technical Committee, formed during the 2005 Gu season. During the last Gu season, a major reason for the difference in response times between the Shabelle and the Juba was the superior quality of information produced and disseminated by the Jowhar Floods Technical Committee. Partners thus agreed to strengthen the coordination network along the Juba by establishing sentinel sites wherever aid agencies are present to increase monitoring, information flow and coordination with local authorities. OCHA will act as information focal point, while FAO/SWALIM will act as the focal point for all physical measurements relating to river stage and rainfall. In this regard, SWALIM is seeking new partners to

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 6 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150 extend its hydrometric networks on both the Shabelle and Juba and is ready to assist partners in establishing rain gauge sites and river stage measuring sites with hardware, installation and training. SWALIM will also continue releasing weekly Flood Bulletins during the flood season.

On 22 October 2005, WFP Somalia welcomed the return to Mombasa of two hijacked Kenyan vessels that were carrying WFP food commodities. Freed after 100 days in captivity, the MV Semlow was carrying 850 MT of food destined for tsunami affected victims, while the MV Miltzow was hijacked while unloading WFP relief food intended for Lower Juba but released two days later. Despite the hijackings, WFP’s operations in the chronic food insecure area of the Juba Valley have continued as have those in the northeast. During the reporting period, WFP distributed some 830 metric tons (MT) of food in reaching 80,000 beneficiaries, and 725 MT to some 67,500 beneficiaries in Buale district. An additional 830 MT for 78,000 beneficiaries will be distributed in . In the northeast, the eighth round of relief food distribution to tsunami affected people, between 26 September and 24 October 2005, delivered 474 MT of food to 28,700 beneficiaries in 37 villages, fishing hubs and settlements to promote livelihood recovery.

As a result of piracy in Somalia waters, food aid stocks throughout Somalia are almost depleted. Consequently, WFP has prioritized its operations accordingly, giving precedence to live saving operations like supplementary and therapeutic feeding, school feeding, support to TB hospitals and relief operations. WFP still requires 11,000 MT of food aid contributions from donors to provide sufficient assistance to those severely affected by food shortages throughout the country until mid-2006.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS Following the floods that hit Hargeisa in late April 2005 during which relief assistance was provided by humanitarian actors, aid agencies recognized the need to enhance emergency preparedness. During the reporting period, UNDP initiated a feasibility study to identify required long term flood control measures. This effort will be undertaken in collaboration with relevant government representatives, UN agencies, national and international NGOs.

Meanwhile, a Task Force led by OCHA comprised of representatives from UNICEF, IFRC, CARE, WFP, UNHCR, and FAO/SWALIM has been set up to develop a contingency plan for Somalia. The Plan will be developed in conformity with Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidelines and look at both natural disasters and complex emergencies, taking into consideration the specificities of the different Somali regions and building upon existing initiatives. Initiating the process was deemed timely in view of the current situation in Somalia and related risks and vulnerabilities.

The dates for the Juba Flood Preparedness workshop have been set for 15-19 December 2005. Like the Shabelle Flood Workshop held in July 2005, the workshop will go toward updating the 2004 ‘Inter-Agency Action Plan for Flood Forecasting, Preparedness and Response for the Juba and Shabelle Rivers in Somalia”

JOINT NEEDS ASSESSMENT During the last month, the Somali Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) concentrated its efforts on finalizing the composition of the JNA team and getting ready to launch the process. As part of this effort, the two Senior Technical Coordinators from the UN and World Bank met with the TFG Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and others to discuss the selection of zonal coordinators, zonal technical counterparts, TFG representatives to the JNA review and selection of Eminent Somali experts from the Somali Diaspora.

The UN Senior Technical Coordinator also traveled to Hargeisa and Garowe for consultations with the respective authorities and other stakeholders to introduce the JNA strategy and process. In Hargeisa, discussions were very participatory including the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, ten additional Ministries, the President and opposition parliamentarians and was instrumental in ensuring appropriate Somaliland perspective in the process.

On 24 October, the JNA Coordination Support Group met and agreed to hold the Inception Retreat on 23-26 November in Nairobi. Funding for the JNA is almost complete with support from the EC, Sweden, Denmark, and Italy making the process ready to start. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 7 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150

The JNA has received some criticism in that its timing is off, that it could be politicized and that it could eventually even lead to conflict. But the JNA is a technical process and in effect, has enabled an exchange of messages between zones and actors who might not otherwise communicate, contributing to dialogue and a shared understanding and engagement by Somalis on issues of recovery. The JNA also provides an opportunity for international engagement in Somalia at a time when commitment is needed to provide the Somalis with the necessary support to emerge from crisis. This said, the JNA will have its foundations on what is accomplished in the humanitarian sector and for this reason the international community must continue to act concertedly to meet humanitarian needs so that they do not weaken reconstruction and development efforts.

CONSOLIDATED APPEALS PROCESS (CAP) With the consultations for the 2006 Somalia CAP completed, the final appealing document contains 77 projects (compared to 93 last year) and appeals for around US$ 174 million, US$ 10 million more than in 2005. The CAP will become public at the time of its launch by the the Somalia Humanitarian Coordinator in Nairobi on 14 December 2005.

In conformity with the intention to keep the CAP focused on humanitarian activities (while ensuring a link to recovery and rehabilitation and the JNA process), CAP project selection was stricter this year which explains the reduced number of projects. The increase in the appeal, on the other hand, is due to the nature of projects submitted, for example the aggressive polio vaccination and surveaillance campaign, the improvement of security at airstrips, and enhanced coordination and support services.

Meanwhile, the 2005 Somalia CAP is roughly 46% covered (around US$ 75 million) and still showing a sectoral bias with food, agriculture and shelter well covered, while health, protection, education, coordination, water and sanitation and security lagging far behind.

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Somalia 8 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754150