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Statement by 52 non-governmental organisations working in Somalia on the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the country
We, the undersigned NGOs, are extremely concerned about the devastating humanitarian crisis in Somalia.
Nearly half of Somalia’s population, or 3.25 million people, are now in need of emergency aid. This is a 77% increase since the beginning of 2008. This number has increased dramatically over the past year due to the destructive combination of extreme insecurity, drought and record-high food prices. The situation is expected to deteriorate further with ordinary Somalis bearing the brunt of the cost.Â
Despite the ongoing political process we have not witnessed any lessening of the violence that continues to have a horrendous impact on civilians.
In the last few weeks, renewed shelling in Mogadishu has displaced approximately 37,000 civilians from their homes. Over the past
nine months, 870,000 have fled for their lives. A total of 1.1 million people are currently displaced in Somalia today.
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We are appalled by the indiscriminate and
disproportional use of force by all armed parties to the conflict, which is further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
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The poorest of Mogadishu’s residents
have no means to flee the extreme violence and have limited means to earn a living leaving them completely dependent on humanitarian assistance. This while the average Somali has seen
price increases for food and water of up to 1,000 percent, plunging many into worsening poverty. One in six children under five, or approximately 180,000 children, is acutely malnourished in South and
Central Somalia.
Aid workers are increasingly the victims of assassination and kidnapping and are now seen as legitimate targets. This year alone 24 aid workers, of which 20 are Somali nationals, have been killed whilst carrying out their work. The whereabouts of another ten are unknown. There have been 111 reported security incidents directly targeting aid agencies.
National and international aid agencies are prevented from responding effectively to the needs of ordinary Somalis because of violence and severely limited access. At present, South and Central Somalia is almost entirely off limits to international staff of aid agencies.
We call upon all parties to the conflict to allow aid agencies unhindered access to Somalis who are in desperate need of emergency assistance.
The international community has completely failed Somali civilians. We call on the international community to make the protection of Somali civilians a top priority now.
Signatories to the statement (52 National and International NGOs):
1. ADRA - Adventist Relief Development Agency
2. AET â€"
Africa Educational Trust
3. AFREC â€" Africa Rescue Committee
4. ASEP â€" Advancement for Small Enterprise Program
5. CARE
â€" Cooperative Assistance for Relief Everywhere
6. CARITAS SWITZERLAND & CARITAS LUXUMBOURG
7. CEFA â€" Somalia European Committee for
Agricultural Training
8. CISP â€" Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli
9. CPD Centre for Peace and Democracy
10. COOPI
â€" Cooperazione Internazionale
11. DEVELOPMENT CONCERN
12. DRC - Danish Refugee Council
13. DIAKONIA EMERGENCY AID BREAD FOR THE WORLD
14. DIAKONIA Sweden
15. FERO â€" Family Economy Rehabilitation Organization
16. GHC â€" Gedo Health Consortium
18. HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
19. HAPO CHILD â€" Hiran HIV/AIDS Prevention and Child Protecton Organisation
20. HARDO â€" Humanitarian Action for Relief and Development Organisation
21. HIMILO â€" Himilo Relief and Development Association
22. HISAN
23. HORN RELIEF
24. IAS â€" International Aid Services
25. IDF â€" Integrated Development Focus
26. IMC â€" International Medical Corps
27. INTERPEACE/WSP â€" Interpeace / War torn Societies
28. INTERSOS
29. IRC â€" International Rescue Committee
30. IREX â€" International Research & Exchanges Board
31. ISLAMIC RELIEF
32. KAALO RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT
33. MAG â€" Mines Advisory Group
34. MEDAIR
35. MERCY CORPS SOMALIA
36. MERLIN
37. NORWEGIAN CHURCH AID
38. NRC â€" Norwegian Refugee Council
39. OXFAM INTERNATIONAL
40. PROGRESSIO UK
41. RI â€" Relief International
42. SAACID AUSTRALIA
43. SAFERWORLD
44. SCUK â€" Save the Children UK
45. TERRA NUOVA â€" Terra Nuova Association for International Cooperation to Development
46. TROCAIRE
47. VSF SUISSE â€" Veterinaires Sans Frontieres - Switzerland
48. VSF GERMANY - Veterinaires Sans Frontieres - Germany
49. WELTHUNGERHILFE
50. WOCCA â€" Women and Child Care Organization
51. WORLD CONCERN
52. WORLD VISION
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The humanitarian crisis:
· The UN’s Food Security
and Analysis Unit (FSAU) for Somalia announced that the magnitude and speed at which the Somalia crisis is deteriorating is ‘alarming and profound.’
· This number includes 870,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and insecurity since the start of 2007 (there are 1.1m IDPs across Somalia). 37,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Mogadishu since the 21st September (FSAU & UNHCR).
· Over 1.3 million people in rural communities are in need (FSAU).
· Over 700,000 people in urban areas are in need.  Â
The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is dramatically worsening due to a combination of three main factors:
1. Extreme and worsening insecurity
â€" also severely limiting access to those in need by aid agencies.Â
2. Drought is deepening and spreading throughout Central and parts of Southern Somalia
â€" caused by the fourth consecutive rainy season failure.
3. Hyperinflation causing record-high food and water prices that have increased by up to 1600%.Â
Other indicators:
· One in six children under five (approx.180, 000) are thought to be acutely
malnourished in Southern and Central Somalia. 26,000 are severely malnourished â€" needing immediate treatment. The numbers are increasing (FSASU).Â
· Among the coping mechanism identified by IDPs in reports to UNHCR in August were: forced prostitution ((identified again in Afgooye), Bossaso, Mogadishu, and Dhuusamarreeb), reducing the number of meals per day, reducing food quality, joining a militia for payment/employment (identified in a small number of reports from IDPs fleeing Mogadishu and Elasha). Relying on humanitarian assistance for support was identified most often as the coping / survival mechanism by IDPs in reports to UNHCR in August.Â
· Only 30 percent of school age children are enrolled in school (countrywide) according to the Somalia Education Cluster. Schools in Mogadishu shut down for three days in a protest against insecurity and attacks targeting schools.Â
Access
· The UN has stated that the level of insecurity in Somalia is limiting humanitarian space by the day (OCHA).
· 24 aid workers
have been killed inside Somalia since January â€" 20 of them Somali nationals (NGO Security Preparedness and Support Project (NGO SPAS)). The whereabouts of ten other aid workers
remains unknown.
· There have been 111 security-related incidents directly affecting NGOs since the start of January. Another 28 incidents have affected NGOs
indirectly. The vast majority of the incidents are taking place in South and Central regions (NGO SPAS).
· Numerous obstacles continue to limit access to those
in need by aid agencies: assassinations, kidnappings, prohibitive demands at checkpoints, the targeting of aid assets â€" like food and other items intended for delivery to people in need,
carjackings (there have been nearly 40 this year).
· There are currently over 300 checkpoints in South Central Somalia â€" limiting access to those in need.
Piracy
· Between 1st Jan â€" 31st August 2008, 32
ships were hijacked off the coast of Somalia.Â
· Canadian ships are currently providing naval escorts for WFP food shipments. In a recent decision Canada decided
to extend the naval escorts to 23 October.
· Since November 2007, a succession of international navies including Canadian, Dutch, Danish and French, have been escorting WFP
ship destined for Somalia.
· On 2 October EU Defence Ministers decided to establish an anti-piracy security operation off the coast of Somalia. A number of EU member states
have expressed an interest to take part. An official decision is expected on 10 November.
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More from the Oxfam Press Office at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/news
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
