UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $18 MILLION TO MITIGATE IMPENDING HUMANITARIAN DISASTER IN SOMALIA
Press Release
IHA/669
UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $18 MILLION TO MITIGATE IMPENDING HUMANITARIAN DISASTER IN SOMALIA
19981120 NEW YORK/GENEVA, 20 November (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- United Nations agencies in Somalia today launched a Donor Alert appealing for $18 million to provide emergency assistance in food, nutrition and health to over 300,000 persons in extremely precarious condition in southern and central Somalia. These regions have been affected by Somalia's third consecutive crop failure, the worst since 1995. Humanitarian organizations are also deeply concerned about the recent fighting for control of the southern port town of Kismayo, and the rise in insecurity in and around Mogadishu. Continued insecurity is one of the main causes for continued displacement and the increased vulnerability of populations."The lives of 300,000 people are at risk and the livelihoods of an additional 400,000 are threatened by this crisis", said Dominik Langenbacher, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, who is the coordinator of the operation for the United Nations, as well as for the Somalia Aid Coordination Body (SACB). "The alarms of our early warning systems are ringing loudly. Either we respond adequately now or face a much more serious crisis in early 1999. Quick response and adequate funding are paramount."
"The see-saw climatic changes of recent years have brought drought, followed by devastating floods, and drought again, leaving underground granaries bare and having exhausted local coping mechanisms", Mr. Langenbacher added. "These problems are compounded by ongoing factional fighting in the Bay/Bakool regions. Failure of the rains in October complicates an already precarious situation and dashes hopes for a good harvest in January."
The Donor Alert is based on a joint inter-agency Plan of Action comprising two phases. Phase I addresses the immediate crisis through food and non-food assistance until January 1999. Phase II will begin in February after the harvest. The funding requirements to ensure the continuity of humanitarian operations beyond February will be outlined in the 1999 Consolidated Appeal for Somalia, to be submitted to donors on 16 December 1998.
The World Food Programme's (WFP) partner, the Food Security Assessment Unit, estimates the food deficit for the November 1998 to June 1999 period
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at over 44,000 metric tons, of which 12,000 metric tons are required for the next eight months. In addition, WFP has initiated preparations to provide 3,000 metric tons of food during November and December to almost 100,000 people in the worst affected areas of Bay/Bakool regions, while the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has launched an immunization campaign. The ongoing response of the United Nations and its partners includes an operational task force headed by UNICEF in collaboration with WFP, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
For further information please contact: Mr. Dominik Langenbacher, The Office of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia; telephone: +254-2-448-434; fax: +254-2-448-439; or e-mail: pg@undpsom.org.
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