Key Overall Developments
Low donor funding and continuing fighting and conflict, have placed millions of Somalis, including women and children at risk and is jeopardising health interventions such as mobile clinics for IDPs, and early warning and surveillance of key infectious and communicable diseases. The scale of the crisis, and the limited scope of response, means that Somalis will continue to suffer unless intensified efforts to end the violence and meet health needs are made. WHO and UNICEF have vaccinated more than 1 million children under five years and 820,000 women against polio, tetanus and measles during the first round of Child Health Days across Somalia recently. But for a second round to take place in other parts of the country, urgent funding is needed. As of 2 October, the 2009 humanitarian funding requirements for health is 24 percent funded.
At least 15 people were killed and more than 50 others wounded in Kismayo, Lower Juba, on 1 October, when fighting erupted between two Islamist groups over the control of the town. Field reports indicate that hundreds of people were displaced following the skirmish mostly headed for Jamaame and Jilib in Middle Juba.
An agricultural project aiming to reach 78,000 households (468,000 individuals) in South/Central Somalia, supported by the European Commission (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), started in September. The Integrated Support to Rural Livelihood project is in response to soaring food prices aimed at helping Somalia move towards long term food security. The project will enhance agricultural production, and rehabilitate infrastructure through cash for work programmes.
A vessel carrying 3,700 metric tons of WFP food aid safely docked at the Mogadishu port under EU escort on 28 September, a day after a Somali-owned ship was rescued from a pirate attack near Mogadishu port that left its captain dead. The recent pirate attack near Mogadishu port may affect shipping costs as insurance companies reevaluate the risks for ships plying off the coast of Somalia.
Response
WFP and partners distributed 622 metric tons of food to 14,700 beneficiaries under institutional feeding, maternal child health nutrition, food-for-work, emergency school feeding and supplementary feeding programmes in Sool, Sanaag, Awdal, W/Galbeed and Togdheer Regions in Somaliland. In the Lower Juba region, some 7,200 beneficiaries received food under supplementary feeding programmes in 19 locations across Afmadow district. In various districts of Bay, Bakool and Gedo regions, 45,300 people also received food aid under the supplementary feeding programme. Some 65 patients in Garbahaarey hospital in Gedo region received their monthly ration of 2 metric tons of food.
In response to the on-going drought situation in Somalia, UNICEF provided four water bladders for safe water storage benefiting about 10,000 IDPs in Baidoa, Bay region. Concern Worldwide also started water trucking in Bardaale district, Bay region, benefiting at least 13 villages, while another 3,555 families benefited from water trucking in Bulla Hawa, Gedo region on a daily basis during the week.
UNHCR and WAWA women umbrella group distributed sanitary towels to about 10,000 vulnerable women in Bossaso, Puntland. The commodities will promote hygiene, and an additional 20,000 women will benefit from the same intervention in the coming days.
Contact: For further information in English, contact: Rita Maingi on +254 734 800 120 – maingir@un.org. In Somali or English, contact Muna Mohamed on + 254 733 643 737 – mohamed26@un.org
