Minutes of the Food Security Cluster Meeting Gedo Region ASEP Conference Hall, Dollow, Somalia Thursday, June 21, 2012 _______________________________________________________ Agenda: 1. Introduction 2. Agree on previous minutes 3. Review/follow–up actions from previous meeting 4. Security updates and partner contribution 5. Updates from FEWSNET 6. Presentation of summary district level information by response objective 7. Review of gaps per district and response discussion 8. Any Other Business Introduction The Chair of the meeting guided the members through the agenda and self introduction. He thanked the members present for finding time to attend the meeting and the Advancement for Small Enterprise Program (ASEP) for hosting the meeting. He called for an interactive meeting. Agree on previous minutes The minutes of the previous meeting were ratified by the members for posting on the FSC webpage and on the OCHA website. Review/follow–up actions from previous meeting The election results for the position of Vice Coordinator for Gedo Region would be announced at a later date. Security updates and partner contribution Participants at the meeting reported vehicle ambushes around Garbaharey district in May and June. There were also difficulties in movement and access to certain villages situated between Luuq and other parts of the region during this same period. In June, 2012, in Belet-Hawa town, cases of hit and run leading to fatalities were reported. Nonetheless, Belet–Hawa district remained accessible to local NGOs throughout the previous month with El Waq remaining relatively safe and calm. Abridged Updates from FEWSNET Apart from using satellite imagery, FEWSNET complements information gathered by field enumerators, local partners trained in data collection, Key Informants (KI) and ground truth. Minutes of FSC meeting (Dollow, Gedo, June 21, 2012) Page 1 2012 Rainfall Analysis Gedo Region received light showers with below average spatial distribution. Somalia – Outcomes Food insecurity remained precarious for 2.51 million people with cereal production in more marginal southern, rain fed cropping zones of Hiran, Bakool, Lower and Middle Juba, and Gedo significantly below average resulting in the Emergency Phase. There is a Crisis level in Guban Pastoral livelihood zone of the Northwest, and localized areas of Addun, Sool and Nugal with the poor pastoral HHs in Coastal Deeh remaining in emergency level. The humanitarian assistance mainly in Mogadishu and Northern regions reduced cereal prices Looking ahead – Key Messages In southern Somalia, a below-average Gu harvest will be delayed by a month. As a result of the delay in harvest, high debt burdens, and limited livestock holdings, poor, agro pastoral households’ food security in southern Somalia is likely to deteriorate from June. The lean season will extend into July. Agro pastoral households in southern Somalia have very limited livestock holdings. Cereal production in more marginal, low potential southern, rain fed cropping zones of Hiran, Bakool, Lower and Middle Juba, and Gedo will most likely be below the Gu 1995-2011 average Cereal prices are likely to rise before the harvest and may stay high due to the below average harvest. Imported food prices seasonally rise during the June to September monsoon winds which reduces import volumes in most of Somalia’s ports Scaling up of humanitarian assistance and activation of the contingency planning process is necessary to address unusually high needs in agro pastoral areas during the current extended lean season through July and potential needs following the Gu harvest in August. A scaling up of humanitarian assistance and activation of the contingency planning process is necessary to address unmet emergency food assistance needs in agro pastoral areas over the coming months. For the full presentation please refer to the FSC Web page on the OCHA Somalia website Presentation of summary district level information by response objective During the month of May, 2012 a total of 107, 170 people in need were reached through Food Vouchers, Cash, General Food Distribution (GFD) and provision of High Energy Biscuits (HEB) to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in transit. During the same period 9,965 were reached with responses providing a Safety Net to the people in need and a further 57, 583 reached with Livelihood Investments in various parts of the region. Review of gaps per district and response discussion Under Improved Access to Food and Safety Nets there were gaps in Bardera, Garbahare and Luuq. Under Livelihood Investment there were gaps in Dollow, El Waq and Luuq. Minutes of FSC meeting (Dollow, Gedo, June 21, 2012) Page 2 Action Point 1: FSC Secretariat Pursue coordination of a broader Inter Agency Assessment to determine the number and status of Internally Displaced Persons in Dollow In this regard, the following agencies volunteered to contribute human and /material resources to be utilized during the assessment to be conducted at a date to be determined later: ASEP, CEDA, DRO, COOPI, ADESO, COSDA, CAFDARO and ADCT. Other agencies wanted to liaise internally before making the commitment. The confirmations shall be made during the next FSC meeting. Some members informed the meeting that, in some districts such as Bardera, there is likelihood that some of the responses implemented are not reflected in the data presented. To this end, agencies were requested to report promptly so that all information is captured. Agencies were requested to write to the secretariat if they had reported but their data was not captured. Agencies that report through other agencies were asked to liaise with their reporting agencies if activities they implement have not been reflected. The coordinator, based on the outlook presented encouraged agencies to help communities build community assets through livelihood interventions to avoid deterioration and sliding back to Improved Access to Food. Any Other Business Members were encouraged to share any information that can impact on implementation. This includes challenges in access. In regard to some cash and voucher progammes where some donors request mobile numbers of beneficiaries for the purpose of monitoring and transparency: in some areas where there is insecurity, this has caused fear among the beneficiaries, intimidation and makes it difficult for staff implementing programmes and may lead to one being targeted as a spy. Action Point 2: FSC Secretariat Present the fear and risks beneficiaries and implementing partners face, in areas of insecurity, to the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) for discussion and determination on the way forward The Co-coordinator thanked all the members for finding time to attend the meeting Dates for subsequent meetings were shared thus: July 17; August 23; September 18 and October 16. Minutes of FSC meeting (Dollow, Gedo, June 21, 2012) Page 3 Annex I: FSC Information and data presented at the meeting Region Improved Access Livelihood Investment Safety Nets Gedo 107, 170 57,583 9,965 Grand Total 107, 170 57,583 9,965 Minutes of FSC meeting (Dollow, Gedo, June 21, 2012) Page 4 Improved Access to Food & Safety Nets District Improved Safety Nets Improved Improved Access Access/Safety Access/Safety Nets Targets Nets Gap Bardera 7,800 - 22,177 14,377 Belet Hawa 23,820 2,776 13,233 - Dolo 19,194 2,486 17,148 - El Waq 23,721 3,341 6,656 - Garbahare 13,356 - 18,575 5,219 Luuq 19,279 1,362 31,142 10,501 Gedo Total 107,170 9,965 108,931 Livelihood Investment Livelihood Livelihood Livelihood District Investment - Investment - Investment Target Gap Bardera 38,478 13,959 - Belet Hawa 7,920 7,294 - Dolo - 3,534 3,534 El Waq - 1,930 1,930 Garbahare 11,185 8,422 - Luuq - 6,537 6,537 Gedo Total 57,583 41,676 Breakdown of Responses Improved Access to Food Safety Nets Livelihood Investment Districts Total IDP in Conditional Food Livestock Income Cash GFD Transit ESFP Work Voucher Vaccination Generation (HEB) Programmes Bardera7,800 ---- 38,478 46,278 Belet Hawa 7,200 16,620 - - 2,776 7,920 34,516 Dolo 9,600 9,594 - - 2,486 21,680 El Waq - - 23,520 201 3,341 27,062 Garbahare 6,600 6,756 - - - 3,265 7,920 24,541 Luuq 7,200 7,200 - 4,879 1,362 20,641 Totals 38,400 40,170 23,520 5,080 9,965 3,265 38,478 15,840 174,718 Gedo Minutes of FSC meeting (Dollow, Gedo, June 21, 2012) Page 5 Annex 2: List of signed participants Regional Food Security Cluster Meeting Gedo Region, Dollow, ASEP Conference Hall Thursday, June 21, 2012 No Name Agency 1. Abdifatah M. Shire ADCT 2. Hassan Duba ADESO 3. Mohamed Tako ADESO 4. Mohamed Weli ASEP 5. Dahir Abdirahman ASEP 6. Adan Sheikh H CAFDARO 7. A/nasir Hasan Adan CAFDARO 8. Abdikarim Moh’d Noor CEDA 9. Ibrahim Omar A CEDA 10. Mohamud Salah Ibrahim COOPI 11. Yakub Ali Hassan COSDA 12. Ali Ahmed Farah COSDA 13. Mohamed Ibrahim DFI 14. Hassan M. H DRO 15. I. Mh’d Omar DRO 16. Xasan Muhumed EDRO 17. Abdullahi Khalif FEWSNET 18. Charles Kesa Food Security Cluster 19. Mark Gordon Food Security Cluster 20. Mohamed Sirat Mohamed GELDA 21. Abdinoor Mohamed Jama GEWDO 22. A Cabdi AAdan Harda Bardere 23. Mohamud Aden Ali HERO 24. Maxamed Xusen Ali HERO 25. A. Ismail Abdulahi Hooyo Aid 26. Abdullahi Hussein Adan IDF 27. Hassan Issack Moh’d International Poverty Aid 28. Hoosh Banadir Sheikh IPDP 29. Abdisalan Maalim Ali LEDA 30. Abdirahim Musa Dakane Life Line Gedo 31. Abdi Ali Botan NAPAD 32. Mohamoud Burale OCHA 33. Omar Mohamed Hassan RDI 34. Abdirizak M. Abdi SADO 35. Hassan Abdi Ahmed SORDEC Luuq 36. Mohamed Farah UNOCHA- Gedo 37. Salah M Abdullahi WFP 38. Jon Larsen WFP Minutes of FSC meeting (Dollow, Gedo, June 21, 2012) Page 6 .