Somalia: Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin 19-26 Feb  

Nairobi Saturday 27 February 2010 SMC

Key Overall Developments     Conflict and Displacement   Cross-border movements UNHCR Kenya reported that camps in Dadaab continue to experience an influx of new arrivals from Somalia.

During the reporting period, UNHCR Ethiopia reported that a second refugee camp in Ethiopia’s Somali region was opened to accommodate the influx of asylum seekers. An estimated 60,000 Somali refugees are hosted in four camps (Au-Barre, Boqolomayo, Kebribeyah and Sheder) along the Ethiopian/Somali border. Currently, an average of 200 Somali asylum seekers have been arriving in Ethiopia each day. 

Mogadishu

As conflict continued in Mogadishu, UNHCR estimates that a total of 22,300 people have been displaced from the city since 1 February, with 16,300 fleeing the town and another 6,000 displaced in the various districts within Mogadishu. Yaaqshiid, Heliwa and Wardhiigleey are the districts in Mogadishu experiencing the most displacement. 

With tensions building up in Mogadishu and the Afgooye Corridor, the humanitarian community, led by OCHA, has prepared Cluster contingency plans in case of increased displacement. In a worst-case scenario, some 218,000 people could be displaced from and within Mogadishu in the next three months. 

Dobley, Lower Juba region

Displacement of civilians was reported in the past week, following conflict between Hisbul Islam and Al Shabaab in Dobley and Afmadow districts. The exact number of people displaced could not be established, but field reports estimate that 2,000 people have crossed into Kenya from Dobley.  

IDP returns in Central regions

Following instability in Dhuusamarreeb, Galgaduud region and Belet Weyne, Hiraan region, at the beginning of the year, field reports indicate that unconfirmed numbers of civilians are returning to their homes. In Hiraan, it is estimated that 30 percent of the 23,000 people displaced have returned. In Dhuusamarreeb, 29,000 people were displaced, but the number of returns is unknown. The security in both regions remains tense and unpredictable.  

Explosion injures six children in Central Somalia

On 19 February, an explosion reportedly caused by a hand grenade, killed one child and injured three others in Marergur village in Dhuusamarreeb district, Galgaduud region. The injured children were treated at the Dhuusamarreeb hospital.  

Incidents against humanitarian organisations  

Hijacking and looting of food aid

On 23 February, 50 armed people hijacked and looted a food aid truck containing 24 metric tons of WFP maize in Gaalkacyo, Mudug region. The food was off-loaded in a residential area in Galkaacyo town and the truck released. It is currently at a local police station.  
 

Response   

Food Aid

During the week, WFP delivered 4,000 metric tons of assorted food commodities to Central Somalia from the Berbera port, northern Somalia, using the North-South corridor opened four weeks ago. A test delivery of 300 metric tons of food conducted during the first week of February demonstrated that the North-South corridor could be an efficient alternate delivery route to the Mogadishu-Gaalkacyo corridor, which has become increasingly unsafe. WFP food convoys came under sustained threats on the South-Central corridor as they passed through Islamist controlled areas in Southern Somalia. The deliveries from the Berbera port, which on average take two to three days, have boosted WFP’s effort to provide timely food assistance to thousands of drought affected households in the Central regions. 

WFP and partners in Puntland distributed 31 metric tons of assorted food commodities to 3,341 beneficiaries under the institutional feeding programmes reaching Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS patients and Maternal Child Health Nutrition Centres (MHCN). Meanwhile, a meeting between WFP and the Ministry of Health in Puntland discussed the possibility of increasing the number of MHCN centres to ten from the five currently operational. WFP also met with OCHA and discussed the current situation of IDPs in Bossaso, including the recent relocation of Tawakal IDPs by the Government. WFP conducted the monitoring of emergency school feeding programmes covering 17 schools in Sanaag region.  

Water Sanitation & Hygiene

This week, CARE International completed the rehabilitation of the boreholes in Burtinle and Buuhoodle, Togdheer region, which are expected to alleviate severe water shortages amongst large pastoral populations in the area. A WASH expert recommended the establishment of more permanent water sources and the sinking of at least two more boreholes in the large area to cater for the high demand for water. Some 15,000 rural and pastoral families will benefit from the rehabilitated borehole in Buuhoodle.  

Education

During the reporting period, UNICEF, through partners, supported education emergency interventions in the Afgooye Corridor and south Mudug region. Teaching and learning materials were distributed to 7,367 children, including 3,000 girls in 40 conflict affected schools. The supplies are essential for the continuity of education in these areas.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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

Somaliweyn Media Center

Somaliweyn Media Center (SMC)
Muqdisho Somalia

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