UNAMA Civil Military Weekly Report

OCHA – Coordination Saves Lives

Issue # 20 13‐20 May 2011

Key Overall Developments

Security/Displacement On 18 May, heavy fighting between TFG/AMISOM and Al Shabaab occurred in Mogadishu’s Hodan and Hawl Wadaag districts. At least 20 civilians were reportedly killed and some 80 others were wounded. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing offensives in Mogadishu. The majority of the civilian casualties reportedly occurred inside Bakara market, which was hit by a rocket.

According to WHO, 933 weapon related‐ injuries were reported by three major hospitals in Mogadishu during the first two weeks of May 2011. About 398 cases or 43 percent were children under the age of five. In April, only 3.5 percent were children younger than five among the reported casualties.

UNHCR reports that since 23 February, at least 27,100 people were displaced from or within Mogadishu of whom 12,600 fled the capital and another 14,500 moved to calmer parts of Mogadishu.

Rains and Drought updates On 17 May, heavy rainfall was received in Dhahar town and surrounding villages in eastern Sanaag region resulting in flooding of the entire town. Two adults reportedly died as a result of the floods. These areas are now inaccessible by road, therefore needs assessments impossible. Some 150 households are said to have been affected after losing their personal effects including food reserves. According to field reports, the Gu rains continued in some drought‐affected districts and villages in Puntland. However, many areas in northeast Bari region including Kandala, Alula, Bandah Baylah and Iskushuban districts as well as areas in Ely district remain dry.

Many areas in Galgaduud and Hiraan regions received rains during the week under review. Field reports indicate that most of the water catchments in pastoral areas have been replenished. However, reports indicate that Jalalaqsi district of Hiraan region and Jowhar district of Middle Shabelle region still continue to experience the drought effect with less rain reported in few locations in these districts. Cases of malnutrition are still rampant in Galgaduud region with deaths of children being reported in Jalalaqsi and Ceel Dheer districts.

Response

Food Assistance/Logistics During the week under review, WFP delivered a total of 1,180 metric tons of mixed food commodities to 169,000 beneficiaries through wet feeding, institutional feeding, emergency school feeding, food for work and nutrition programmes. Out of the total beneficiaries reached, 140,000 were from Banadir region and 29,000 from Somaliland.

WFP’s operations in Somalia are currently experiencing severe pipeline breaks. This is affecting all programmes throughout Somalia resulting in either a large reduction in ration size or a suspension in certain activities, allowing WFP to meet only 30 percent of actual food needs in its areas of operation.

Following the engagement with the Executive Board on WFP operations in Somalia, WFP has committed to host

The mission of OCHA is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action UNOCHA Somalia, Ngecha Rd. (off Lower Kabete Rd). P.O Box 28832, 00200, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: +254 20 4002400 Website: http://ochaonline.un.org/Somalia

three consultations in Nairobi in June 2011 focused on humanitarian operations and risk. All major stakeholders, representatives of the donor community and the humanitarian/development arms of regional entities will be invited to participate. The first two consultations will look at technical issues related to operations and risks in Somalia. The outcomes of the first two consultations will serve as a basis for the third event, a high‐level consultation, which aims to conclude with a broad consensus on key areas of risk and joint actions to mitigate such risks.

Health The cholera transition season is ongoing. Most regions of Somalia have received sporadic rainfall. In addition, WHO states that there is a likelihood of a risk in transmission of waterborne diseases as communities tend to utilize water from contaminated sources. Since the first week of January and following a confirmed cholera outbreak in Mogadishu, 2,268 AWD/cholera cases including 1,782 (79 percent) cases under the age of five with 77 related deaths have been reported from Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu. Children under the age of two bear the greatest burden of AWD accounting for 59 percent of all reported cases. Based on data collected, women and girls account for 46 percent of all AWD reported cases at the hospital.

In Lower Shabelle region, the number of AWD cases tends to increase during the reporting period. MCH services in Warsheikh, Middle Shabelle region reported some 36 AWD cases including four children under the age of five and 10 deaths of whom three were under five years. WHO and partners are closely monitoring trends of communicable diseases, especially AWD in light of the end of the dry season.

In Hudur, Bakool region, there are reports of an unclassified disease that has affected over 90 people with 53 deaths. Signs and symptoms of the cases include fever for one to two months, a high pulse rate, occasionally sore throat, progressive swelling of joints and limbs including pains. It is observed that patients either recover slowly or die. Retrospective data collected indicates that the case fatality rate is a major concern. WHO has dispatched additional supplies including antibiotic syrups and tablets to Hudur to support the mobile clinic in the affected villages for a period of one month.

On 14 and 15 May 2011, WHO in collaboration with Puntland and Galmudug ministries of health trained more than 40 health workers on AWD/cholera prevention, case detection and management. The health workers are from nine districts of Galgaduud and Mudug and are now fully skilled to assist an estimated population of 780,000 people.

Water Sanitation and Hygiene On 14 May 2011, DRC completed construction/rehabilitation of under ground water reservoirs (Berkads) in Heylan Village of Baran district in Eastern Sanaag region. The water reservoirs will benefit about 200 households in the village. DRC also completed the construction of five latrines in this village. The organization has now commenced the construction of some eight latrines in Ugbad IDP settlement in Bossaso that is expected to benefit 32 households.

Contact: For further information in English contact Rita Maingi on +254 734 800 120 – [email protected] and in Somalia contact Abdi Yussuf Noor on +254 734 210 103 – [email protected]