UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

Monthly Cluster Report Humanitarian Response in April 2008

This report was written in cooperation with the cluster leads for the humanitarian operation in Somalia and provides a monthly update on ongoing activities and humanitarian response.

HIGHLIGHTS • The Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) confirms that the humanitarian situation in Somalia is deteriorating at an accelerated pace due to soaring food prices, deepening drought and a delayed and poor start to the Gu season rains (April to June). The number of people in need of assistance in Somalia has increased to 2.6 million people (35% of the total population), an increase of more than 40% since January 2008. This increase is mainly due to addition of 600,000 urban poor (20% of the total urban population), who now do not have enough food to sustain their households or who are selling assets to buy food, leaving them vulnerable to further deterioration. • While humanitarian needs are increasing drastically, insecurity continues to hamper the delivery of assistance throughout South Central Somalia and Puntland. Except for the Food Aid Cluster, all clusters reported the down scaling of humanitarian operations due to insecurity. • In April alone, more than 42,000 people were displaced, mainly because of insecurity. • Despite the security situation, and with over 15 security incidents directly related to food distributions, World Food Programme (WFP) and CARE managed to distribute 21,147 metric tons of food to nearly 1.2 million beneficiaries. • On a daily basis, more than 50,000 vulnerable people continue to receive cooked food rations in Mogadishu.

ACCESS, SECURITY & LOGISTICS During the third week of April, Mogadishu experienced the heaviest fighting so far this year. Fighting escalated over the weekend of 19-20 April in five out of the 16 districts in the city - (Dharkenley, Yaaqshiid, Heliwaa, Hodan and Wardhiigleey districts). The number of civilian casualties are estimated to be at least 66 and the number of wounded nearly 200 according to hospital records.

Insecurity, although at a lower level, continued in other parts of South Central Somalia. In Belet Weyne, Hiraan region, anti-government forces captured the town and brutally killed four expatriates. The four were working for an English-language school run by a private organization. On 30 April at least 17 civilians were reported killed and dozens wounded in Baidoa (Bay region) after Ethiopian troops opened fire following the explosion of a remote-controlled bomb. In the past two months, political control in some ten towns in South Central regions has changed hands, sometimes more than once, creating a vacuum of authority.

The deteriorating security situation is affecting delivery of humanitarian assistance. There have been at least 15 security incidents reported in which food aid was looted or transportation of food aid has been held up due to security problems. There have also been cases – Belet Weyne and Jowhar, for example – where international staff have had to be temporarily relocated. There have been more than 40 security incidents along the Afgooye corridor, where the largest humanitarian response in Somalia is underway, including seven roadside bombs, so far in 2008.

In order to provide better support services, the Logistic Cluster is strongly encouraging partners in the field to share information and is calling for the urgent need to strengthen information flow back to the cluster.

Cluster Lead – Logistics: Francesco Nicolo Cornaro, WFP, [email protected]

PROTECTION As in previous months the single greatest cause of displacement in Somalia has been violence and insecurity. Nearly 42,000 people have been displaced by insecurity in April; more than 22,000 displaced from Mogadishu. Displacement because of insecurity in Mogadishu was quite low for most of April. However during the weekend of 19-20 April a major offensive was launched by the Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces against anti-government groups in Mogadishu. The fighting was very fierce in several areas of Mogadishu including Hodan, Wardhiigleey, Heliwaa and Dayniile. There have been many reports of civilian casualties as a result of these attacks. On 20 April twenty civilians – many of them clerics - were killed in and around Al-Hidaya Mosque in Heliwaa district. Displacement sharply increased during this time as well. In the last 11 days of April 13,000 were displaced, representing 77% of the total displacement from Mogadishu this month. An estimated 2,900 IDPs returned to Mogadishu during the reporting period. It should be noted that the vast majority of these returned early in the month before the fighting which began on 19 April. In addition to violence in Mogadishu, there have been population movements related to conflict or the threat of conflict between the TFG/Ethiopians and anti-government entities outside of Mogadishu. By far, the largest of these movements has been from Bulo Burto town in Hiraan. Estimates for the total number of displaced range from 15,000 to 29,000. These people fled the town when Ethiopian troops were stationed there, fearing attacks from ICU-affiliated militias active in the area, and moved to towns along the Shabelle River in Bulo Burto district. Similar though smaller movements were reported in Balcad town where an estimated 900 people fled the town (most of whom returned after the Ethiopian troops left). The latest figures on the phenomenon of ‘mixed migration’ indicate that there were more than 16,337 arrivals at the Yemeni coast between January and April. The vast majority, approximately 10,000 people, were Somalis. Some 275 people have died on the journey and 217 people are missing. Four months into the year, the halfway mark of 2007 has been surpassed when 30,000 people attempted the same perilous journey. Those who make it across recount horrific stories of threats and abuse. In just one example during the month, on 1 April, about 53 Somali migrants from Bossaso drowned in the sea just of the Yemen coast when the crew of a small boat carrying about 153 people forced the migrants to jump off. The 92 survivors who managed to swim to the coast were taken by authorities to a refuge camp in Abyan region.

Cluster Lead – Protection: Fatima Mohammed (Chair), UNHCR, [email protected] Reena Ghelani (Co-chair), UN-OCHA, [email protected]

FOOD AID Hyper-inflation throughout Somalia is reducing access to food. Poor domestic harvests, lack of commercial imports, disrupted trade from conflict and the devaluation of the Somali shilling have increased cereal prices by 80 percent between January and March 2008. The number of people in need of assistance in Somalia has increased to 2.6 million people (35% of the total population), an increase of more than 40% since January 2008. This increase is mainly due to addition of 600,000 urban poor (20% of the total urban population), who now do not have enough food to sustain their households or who are selling assets to buy food, leaving them vulnerable to further deterioration. WFP will determine how many of the identified urban poor are already being assisted through its various food assistance programmes and how many are yet to be targeted. FSAU has warned that the situation is likely to further deteriorate and the number of people in need of assistance may increase to 3.5 million by year end.

In light of the deteriorating food security situation WFP has submitted to its Executive Board, a request for additional resources in the amount of US$123 million or 117,067 metric tons. The overall number of beneficiaries targeted is 2 million. Due to shipping delays, WFP Somalia is already facing a serious pipeline break of approximately 23,000 metric tons from May to July 2008.

The drought-affected central regions of and Galgaduud are areas traditionally covered by CARE International in terms of food aid response. However, due to the increased number of people in need of assistance, WFP has entered into a partnership with CARE and will resource for an additional 26,000 metric tons of food to feed as many as 677,500 people in these regions.

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Table: Food Distribution – April 2008 Agency Beneficiaries Food Location (metric tons) WFP 1,003,750 16,571 Country-wide CARE 168,486 4,576 Hiraan, Galgaduud, Mudug and Shabelle regions Total 1,172,236 21,147 -

WFP has signed an agreement with the Danish Refugee Council to continue the ‘wet feeding’ programme in Mogadishu for another six months. The programme is implemented by the local NGO SAACID in ten districts of Mogadishu and has until now provided cooked meals to more than 50,000 people a day. As of May the programme will be expanded to six more districts and will reach 80,000 people daily.

Keith Ursel, WFP, [email protected] Justus Liku, (Co-chair), CARE, [email protected]

LIVELIHOODS and FOOD SECURITY In addition to the violence that rocked Mogadishu during the weekend of 19-20 April, protection monitoring partners identified secondary reasons for displacement. Almost a third of the reports received from Mogadishu indicate that a “lack of livelihood” contributed to IDPs leaving Somalia. Inflation and high food prices which have been affecting most parts of Somalia were also indicated.

Two livelihoods projects targeting recently displaced people from Mogadishu are ongoing:

In the drought-affected regions of Hiraan, Mudug and Galgaduud, a 12-month project implemented by FAO in partnership partners COOPI and CISP, is supporting IDPs displaced by last year’s conflict in Mogadishu who have moved back to their areas of origin. Three thousand households with backgrounds in fishing, farming, or from livestock-rearing area were assisted with much needed supplies – such as boats, tools, seeds, and small animals – as well as training to re-establish their livelihoods. The project aims to increase the availability of basic food stuffs such as milk, grains and fish for the households involved. Profiling and selection of beneficiaries has been completed and assets procurement is in progress.

In response to the humanitarian crisis in , a joint FAO/WFP project is providing cash and food for work for rural infrastructure rehabilitation – including some 30 km of river embankments, 300 km of irrigation canals, four water catchments and 150 km of feeder roads. In addition to providing both income and food to populations in food security crisis, the cash-for-work element will also help inject money into the economy and promote recovery in the Lower Shabelle. The combined projects respond to what was the worst Gu season (2007) harvest in the Shabelle valley in 10 years, and aim to save lives and protect livelihoods for some 12,000 poor households through rehabilitation of important rural production infrastructure (irrigation canals, water catchments and rural feeder roads) on a combined cash and food for work basis. The project is close to completion.

In responding to the impact on pastoralists’ livelihoods of the mass mortality of livestock (mostly sheep and goats) in Awdal region that followed freezing rains between 17-20 January 2008, FAO is working to jointly coordinate with the Ministry of Livestock in Hargeysa an intra-cluster animal health and subsequent re-stocking intervention to be implemented together with partners ion the Agriculture and Livelihoods Cluster.

Cluster Lead – Agriculture & Livelihoods Dr. Andrew Harberd, FAO, [email protected]

7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya 3 Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754156 http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia NUTRITION The FAO Food Security Analysis Unit together with Somali Red Crescent Society (SRSC) and International Medical Corps (IMC) conducted nutrition assessment in Ceel Berde District, Region, in April 2008. The results indicated a Very Critical nutrition situation with global acute malnutrition (GAM) levels of 24.1% and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) levels of 2.8%. These results are very alarming and warrant immediate intervention and indicate deterioration from a previous survey conducted in December 2006 when the GAM was 17.7%. In addition, IMC had reported increasing trends in admissions into their feeding centres. Historically El Berde district has indicated high levels of nutritional vulnerability, with median rates between 15-19% in surveys conducted from 2000 to 2006. However, the current results do indicate deterioration. The decline is due to a deteriorating food security situation caused by poor rainfall which has led to lack of pasture and water for livestock, and the ability of poor pastoralists to purchase food. These effects are further compounded by the soaring food prices overall.

FSAU conducted rapid nutrition assessments in four of the twenty eight locations where the urban assessments were conducted: Ceerigaabo and Saramayo, Sanaag region, and Kismaayo and Sanguni, Juba Valleys. The results indicated stable levels of acute malnutrition as compared to the most recent assessment in those same areas (December 2006). However, of concern are reports by ACF of abnormal increasing trends in admission into their therapeutic feeding centres in Mogadishu. FSAU and partners will continue to monitor the urban settlements on a quarterly basis.

With reference to interventions, some of the emergency nutrition interventions have resumed following receipt of funds from donors. Most of the selective feeding programme activities in Bay, Bakool and the Afgooye IDP corridor are underway. There are eight new supplementary feeding programmes (SFP) and eight outpatient therapeutic feeding programmes (OTP) in Diinsoor implemented by IMC in partnership with UNICEF. Between late March and early April 2008, 964 severely malnourished children were admitted in the eight OTP sites. The Tayeglow and Waajid SFPs in Bakool region, managed by World Vision, also resumed between late March and April.

Along the Afgooye IDP corridor, severe malnutrition management has been ongoing through four OTP sites. Since mid-April, screening and registration of under-five year old children, for purposes of fortified blended food ration distribution, has been done. About 44,000 children were registered to receive a 10kg blended food ration distribution in the first week of May 2008. The ration distribution will be concurrently distributed through nine identified sites across the IDP corridor. In Baidoa, an integrated response for Baidoa IDPs is under consideration in view of the increased nutrition vulnerability and limited access of life-saving interventions. Particular emphasis is made on the active case finding and referral of the identified malnourished cases within Baidoa IDPs and immediate environment (including the Baidoa urban poor).

Despite the efforts made, insecurity continues to present challenges in both surveillance and nutrition intervention implementation. Nutrition programmes, among other humanitarian activities, have been delayed or interrupted, mainly in South and Central Somalia.

Cluster Lead – Nutrition: James King’ori, UNICEF, [email protected] Grainne Moloney (co-chair) FSAU/FAO, [email protected]

HEALTH In order to keep Somalia polio free, the surveillance system must maintain a highly sensitive and vigilant profile. WHO and UNICEF jointly coordinate, implement, and promote polio eradication activities: WHO has taken the lead in technical guidance, while UNICEF coordinates logistical issues and supports social mobilization activities. Continued donor support is essential and needed.

World Malaria Day was commemorated on 25 April by partners including Muslim Aid UK, World Vision, Agrosphere and the various women’s groups in Jamame and Buaale district in the regions of Middle and Valleys. The importance of malaria prevention and early treatment particularly among the vulnerable groups of under-five children, pregnant women and elderly people was emphasized.

Since January 2008 a total of 24,828 Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) cases were reported including 211 related deaths. The trend shows a marked decrease in the number of reported cases and related deaths

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Between 10 March and 5 May 2008, a total of 535 cases of AWD including 18 related deaths were reported from Dhahar district, Sanaag Region. Overall, 74% of the sick were less than 5 years old. In response, WHO provided IV fluids, ORS, antibiotics to Ministry of Health (MOH) and provided transportation media to ensure laboratory confirmation of the reported cases.

WHO has provided case management guidelines to the health facilities in the district after reporting of a suspected outbreak of chickenpox in the town and surrounding villages. Environmental and personal hygiene promotion by WVI, Mercy USA and SRCS is ongoing to reduce the morbidity and mortality.

Priorities & Key Challenges A main priority is to provide Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance training to improve the AFP system sensitivity and awareness. Two National Immunization Days (NIDs) in July and August will be conducted to boost the immunity of children below five years. Vitamin A and de-worming medication to be included during the rounds.

Due to chronically low routine immunization of children in Somalia NIDs will be required until polio is eradicated world-wide. The main challenges facing the cluster include insecurity that inhibits or prohibits international staff movement and oversight, costly security measures and lack of a central government and public health infrastructure. In addition, Global Polio Eradication Initiative is experiencing a funding gap of more than $500 million.

Cluster Lead – Health N. Paranietharan (Chair), WHO, [email protected] EALTH, WAR SANITATION and HYGIENE WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) Movements because of drought have decreased significantly since last month. Only 1,600 people reported moving because of drought in April. They fled drought conditions in Lower Shabelle (Afgooye and Wanla Weyne), in Kismaayo district, and in South Mudug.

Water trucking activities that started in February and March 2008 have been expanding during the month of April to central districts of Galgaduud and Mudug regions as well as to parts of Hiraan, Bay, Puntland and Somaliland. Throughout all drought-affected areas it is estimated that 600,000 people are receiving a minimal quantity of 5 to 10 litres of water a day. In order to prepare for the next dry seasons, different agencies also plan to increase the rehabilitation of water supply structures from boreholes and shallow wells to rain harvesting structures (berkards).

For IDPs along the Afgooye-Mogadishu corridor, water trucking (undertaken by UNICEF and partners DRC, Islamic Relief and SAACID) continues to deliver water to about 200,000 people. Water trucking is complemented by the rehabilitation of water supply systems. For example, in Elisha settlement improved water supply rehabilitated by Oxfam GB and local NGO Hijra has started operating and will in the near future be able to deliver water to around 100,000 people.

Advocacy for ensuring a proper quality of the delivered water by agencies is ongoing, but the response faces many constraints such as technical problems and sanitation habits.

Cluster Lead – WASH Julien Le Sourd, UNICEF, [email protected]

EDUCATION As security situation deteriorates and attacks against aid workers intensify in South Central Somalia, schools and education in general are also victims. April has seen some of the worst violent attacks against schools, teachers and school children including the murder of four foreign school teachers in Belet Weyne. In a separate incident 41 children were arrested by the TFG/Ethiopian troops on 19 April after a raid on a mosque in Mogadishu. While some of the children were released later, there is growing concern that 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya 5 Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754156 http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia children are often being arrested and abused by the military forces during operations against insurgents. In addition the ongoing conflict continues to negatively impact on education as many of the remaining schools still operating were reportedly closed due to intensified fighting and population displacement from Mogadishu. It is estimated that more than 80% of primary schools in Mogadishu have been closed since the beginning of the 2007/08 school year. Furthermore, the worsening humanitarian conditions and shrinking humanitarian space are greatly affecting education activities in most parts of the country. The drought forced many schools to be closed before the end of academic year. The worst affected areas are Sool, Sanaag, Togdheer, Galgaduud, Hiiran and regions. In Gedo, there have been reports of people raiding schools and taking food intended for school children. This shows the severity of the food shortage in the region and its implication on the education sector.

Given the deteriorated humanitarian and security situations in Somalia, the education cluster is concerned that gains made over the past several years in education will be reversed unless new approaches are introduced. The weakening economic conditions of the local communities, near collapse of the Somali shilling and increased global food prices will significantly reduce parent’s ability to support education given the competing and pressing needs.

In response, activities of the education cluster will focus on the following: i) strengthening the capacity of the local education institutions and communities and meaningfully engaging them in responding to the education needs during emergencies; ii) strong advocacy on emergency education funding and raising donors’ awareness on education funding needs during emergency; iii) provision of basic education materials, supplies and kits including textbooks; iv) seeking ways of providing incentives to teachers and improving their teaching competencies; v) advocating for school feeding programmes to address the issues of food insecurity among pupils; vi) strengthening field level education cluster coordination to ensure effective education cluster response; vii) advocating for multi-sector approach to the current emergency. The education cluster plans to actively involve other cluster coordination forums, in an effort to get education needs addressed by other clusters and establish collaborative links between education and other clusters.

In the meantime the education cluster continues to support on-going emergency education activities in the country. Along the Afgooye-Mogadishu corridor, UNICEF in partnership with IAS, Islamic Relief and SAACID continued to provide basic education services to the displaced children from Mogadishu. Preparation for an expansion phase aimed at increasing for addition 500 pupils is at its final stage. Agreements between UNICEF and the three partners are currently been worked on. The new expansion phase will include construction of additional 10 modest child-friendly schools. This expansion phase is funded by the Humanitarian Response Fund.

In Galgaduud, CARE has completed baseline surveys in six districts to have a clear picture of the situation. Despite poor access in the region, plans are underway to implement emergency education. Preparations are also well-underway for CISP to start four emergency-related schools in Dhuusamarreeb and Guri Ceel. INTERSOS also plans to implement emergency education activities in the region.

Cluster Lead – Education Maulid Warfa (Chair), UNICEF, [email protected] Maurice Robson (alternate), UNICEF. [email protected] FUNDING The 2008 CAP funding level remains at approximately 35%. Whilst some clusters have been moderately funded (food aid, shelter & NFIs, protection and WASH), the revision of the FSAU Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPU) will soon result in revising of key humanitarian response projects. Other clusters that have received very little funding thus far, such as health and education, will require stronger support.

Many of the ongoing emergency responses, such as wet food feeding in Mogadishu and water trucking in Central and North East & North West, are outside of CAP and have been supported through pooled fund mechanisms and bilateral donors.

In April, the HRF approved over $2.57 million for 11 emergency projects, for WASH response in Mudug, Puntland and Hiran, wet food feeding in Mogadishu, primary healthcare in Merka and emergency livestock vaccination in Somaliland. 7th Floor, Kalson Towers, Crescent Street, off Parklands Road, P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya 6 Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754156 http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia