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Somalia

Somalia: Situation Report No. 38 - 26 Sep 2008

Key Overall Developments

At least 80 civilians died and more than 100 others were wounded during the week after African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) troops were attacked by insurgents in Mogadishu. According to reports from the two main surgical referral hospitals in Mogadishu, at least 110 wounded people were admitted in three days. The number of those wounded is suspected to be higher as reports are so far unavailable from other hospitals and clinics in Mogadishu. Others may have been unable to access facilities due to intense fighting. The fighting was triggered by the landing of two aircrafts at Mogadishu airport on 19 and 20 September in defiance of a ban imposed by Al Shabaab two weeks ago on use of the airport. The districts most affected by the fighting were Hodan, Hawl Wadaag, Waaberi and Wadajir where livelihood activities were disrupted as people fled for safety.

According to the UNHCR's Population Monitoring Tracking, an estimated 15,000 people were displaced following the fighting. The displaced moved to safer districts within the city, while others fled to the Afgooye corridor, joining more than 300,000 IDPs. Some fled to neighboring districts of Marka, Qoryooley and Jowhar. The newly displaced are in need of shelter materials and food assistance.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), John Holmes, on 19 September appealed to Permanent Missions of various donor countries to assist countries in the Horn of Africa experiencing humanitarian emergency. In his statement, Mr Holmes said that 17 million people require urgent assistance over the coming months, adding that the recurrence of drought in Africa's Horn has progressively eroded livelihoods and community coping mechanisms. In Somalia, where 3.2 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, the ERC said the country is short of US$ 370 million out of US$ 646 million required to cover the needs of the people.

Canadian naval escorts for WFP food shipments have been extended to 23 October. In a statement released on 25 September, WFP welcomed the decision of the extension saying, "Millions of hungry people face a total break in their humanitarian food supply due to the scourge of pirates attacking ships." On 18 September, a ship carrying 4,000 metric tons of food aid arrived in Mogadishu escorted by the Canadian frigate. Since November 2007, a succession of international navies including Canadian, Dutch, Danish and French, have been escorting WFP ships, enabling them to deliver a total 136,500 metric tons of food safely - enough to feed 2.6 million people for three months.

This week, the delivery of WFP food by road was threatened when militias ambushed a convoy of trucks transporting 1,230 metric tons to Bakool region on 25 September. One truck was reportedly looted at Balcad, 30km north of Mogadishu, as the convoy headed to Bakool.

Response and gaps

A food aid distribution, targeting 81,000 people, that began on 15 September, in Mogadishu, will also benefit Daynile district where some IDPs moved following fighting during the week. The ongoing food kitchen program, supported by WFP in the 16 districts of Mogadishu, will also assist hundreds of the newly displaced. The project benefits 80,000 vulnerable people on a daily basis. In Waajid, WFP distributed 973 metric tons of assorted food commodities to 58,000 beneficiaries during the week. In addition, some 20,770 beneficiaries received food aid under the supplementary feeding programme. In Lower Shabelle region, 6,200 metric tons of food was distributed to 441,866 beneficiaries in Marka, Kurtunwaarey and Qoryooley districts. CARE completed a distribution of 319 metric tons of food aid to 12,220 beneficiaries in El Waaq, Gedo region.

WHO and partners have provided hospitals, Mother and Child Health Centres and Outpatient Departments in Mogadishu with drugs and supplies. The facilities are continuously treating casualties of fighting in Mogadishu.

The INGO Danish Refugee Council is providing shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs) consisting plastic sheets, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, aqua tabs, and soap to 3,081 households in 69 villages and 10 IDP settlements in Belet Weyne town. They also provided 89,850 sachets of water purifying chemicals, 184,160 pieces of aqua tabs to 27 agropastoral villages and 10 IDP settlements.

Save the Children UK continues to deliver at least 5 litres of water per person on a daily basis for 30 days targeting 87,318 IDPs in Belet Weyne.

For further Information in English, Contact:

Rita Maingi on 254 734 800 120 - maingi@un.org,

In Somali, contact Mona Mohamed on 0733 643 737 - mohamed26@un.org

Website address:http://ochaonline.un.org/somalia

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