NEARLY ONE MILLION FACE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN SOMALIA

NEARLY ONE MILLION FACE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN SOMALIA

NEW YORK, 17 August (OCHA) -- Some 919,000 Somalis need urgent assistance through the end of 2005, according to a recently-concluded Food and Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) assessment in that country.  In addition to 377,000 internally displaced persons, an additional 542,000 individuals require urgent assistance, as they face situations of humanitarian emergency or livelihood crises.  Overall, the report’s findings represent an increase from the 875,000 individuals identified by a previous assessment this past winter as requiring urgent assistance. 

North and central Somalia have seen a major drop in the number of persons facing humanitarian crises, but an increase in livelihood crises.  While recent good rains have brought three years of drought to an end, full recovery will take some time.  There have been high asset and livestock losses, high levels of indebtedness and severe environmental depletion.  In central regions, unresolved conflicts also continue to delay recovery. 

In the south, a state of humanitarian emergency continues, particularly in the Gedo and Juba regions.  Poor rains, flooding from rainfall in other areas, poor crop production, increased cereal prices, heightened conflict and increased displacement have contributed to a deteriorating situation.  In particular, several bouts of inter-clan fighting have obstructed access for four months, and very limited assistance has been delivered to an estimated 15,000 displaced persons in the El Wak district.  Recent reports indicate that both sides are using landmines, which could further exacerbate access and security for both civilians and aid personnel.

While crop production in north Somalia is expected to be above normal, cereal production in the south is at the lowest level in a decade.  In four regions, cereal production is less than 10 per cent of the pre-war average.  Additionally, the price of maize has increased by 45 per cent between April and June 2005.  High malnutrition rates persist, particularly in south Somalia, with approximately one quarter of the under-five population experiencing acute malnutrition.  In parts of the Gedo and Juba regions, overall malnutrition rates are above 20 per cent.

Funding for the humanitarian assistance activities included in the United Nations consolidated appeal (CAP) for Somalia for 2005 currently stands at 43 per cent of requirements.  In particular, food, shelter and agricultural programmes are well resourced -- at least 75 per cent of necessary requirements have already been committed to each of these areas -- but the health, water and sanitation, protection, security, education and coordination sectors remain underfunded.  This funding bias could negatively affect the provision of basic social services.

The FSAU is managed and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with funding from the European Commission and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) New York, tel.:  917 367 5126, mobile:  917-892-1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel:  +41 22 917 2653.

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For information media • not an official record