Safe access for humanitarian assistance is vital to save lives, limit large-scale refugee flows into border countries, and help prevent violence in Somalia, warned CARE International today.

While widespread fighting has ended in Somalia, humanitarian access remains limited. Aid agencies are unable to deliver food and basic services to about 1.8 million people who have been devastated by drought, flooding, and conflict in 2006.

"The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia must quickly re-establish law and order and guarantee security for aid agencies so that we can provide immediate support, as well as help long-term rehabilitation" said Geoffrey Dennis, Chief Executive of CARE International UK.

In addition to widespread food and shelter needs, those displaced by conflict and natural disaster need access to health care, education, and a means to support themselves.

CARE plans to restart operations in conflicted areas as soon as security is ensured. Throughout the conflict, CARE has continued its food distributions and other services in areas where staff could operate safely, such as Northern Gedo and in parts of Hiran; and ongoing programming in Somaliland and Puntland.

CARE has worked in Somalia since 1981, primarily on large-scale emergency relief and refugee assistance activities, construction of water facilities, primary health care, small-scale enterprise development, local institution building, primary school education, and agriculture.

In addition, CARE manages three refugee camps across the border in Dadaab, Kenya. There are currently approximately 172,000 primarily Somali refugees in Dadaab, 35,000 of these fled from Somalia during 2006.

For more information, or interviews please contact:

Amber Meikle, 0207 9349348, meikle@careinternational.org

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