NAIROBI, 24 November (IRIN) - CONTENTS:

ETHIOPIA: Shortage of vaccines for meningitis SOMALIA: Puntland to adopt Islamic law SOMALIA: Flooding 'will affect food security' SOMALIA: Unidentified birds raise avian flu fears SUDAN: Sixteen die of meningitis in southern state SUDAN: Fleeing civilians short of blankets and food SUDAN: Moves to contain suspected avian flu in Juba

Also see: HORN OF AFRICA: Agencies step up relief for flood victims at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56471

ETHIOPIA: Funeral associations - for the living as well as the dead at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56466

SOMALIA: Million-dollar drive for flood victims at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56463

SOMALIA: A question of balance at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56440

ETHIOPIA: Shortage of vaccines for meningitis

The Ethiopian health ministry is short of vaccines to contain the spread of meningitis that has so far claimed 10 lives in the Southern Nations Nationalities and People's Region (SNNPR) and infected 612 more, a health update said on Monday.

A meningitis outbreak has been reported in Derashe and Selamago areas of Mursi in the SNNPR region. An earlier outbreak in Wolayita zone of the same region was contained due to the quick response of health ministry and humanitarian partners, according to the update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56439]

SOMALIA: Puntland to adopt Islamic law

The authorities of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, have agreed to adopt Shari'a law after Islamic leaders in the region recommended the move, local sources said.

The announcement was made by the authority after a committee of religious leader met the leader of Puntland, Gen. Muhammed Adde Muse, and recommended that Shari'a law be adopted in the region, Sheikh Fuad Mahamud, a member of the religious leaders said on Tuesday. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56455]

SOMALIA: Flooding 'will affect food security'

Severe flooding over vast tracts of farmland in Somalia will significantly curtail harvests early in 2007, creating food shortages for numbers of people, an early warning agency said.

Somalia is facing its worst flooding in recent history after both the Juba and Shabelle rivers burst their banks in several locations. Floods have displaced communities, submerged villages, destroyed underground granaries, cut off feeder roads and washed away thousands of hectares of farmland in the Gedo, Juba Valley, Hiran and Shabele Valley regions. http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56438]

SUDAN: Sixteen die of meningitis in southern state

Preparations are under way to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of people in the southern Sudanese county of Yei, Central Equatorial State, after an outbreak of meningitis killed 16 people, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The deaths occurred between 1 September and 8 November, the health agency said in a statement on Tuesday. Another 231 suspected cases have been reported. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56469]

SOMALIA: Unidentified birds raise avian flu fears

Dozens of unidentified birds have been found dead in a village in the Middle Shabelle region, south-central Somalia, raising fears of an outbreak of bird flu in the country, according to local sources in the regional capital Jowhar, 90 km north of the national capital, Mogadishu.

"Fifty-two birds arrived in the village of Eil Baraf [50 km dead north of Jowhar] 10 days ago," said Muhammad Ibrahim Malimow, a local resident. "They looked like ducks, so no one paid them any attention until they started dying."

He said this raised fears among the locals who "raised the alarm".

According to specialists, migratory birds play an important role in the spread of the deadly H5N1 flu virus.

Muhammad Ali, a veterinarian of the Somali Animal Health Service Project, who went to Eil Baraf to investigate, told IRIN that "the birds all had tags with Orint. Institute, Zagreb Croatia on them, which tells us that they were migratory birds from that country."

[Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56485]

SUDAN: Fleeing civilians short of blankets and food

Several thousand civilians who have fled armed militia attacks in Birmaza, North Darfur State, and sought shelter in nearby hills, have no blankets or food, and only limited access to water after bombings last week targeted water points, the United Nations said.

The attacks, allegedly carried out by Janjawid militias and Sudanese armed forces on 15 and 16 November, have been described by the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) as "a flagrant violation of the security provisions" of the Darfur peace agreement. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56442]

SUDAN: Moves to contain suspected avian flu in Juba

Thousands of domestic poultry have been destroyed in and around the southern Sudanese capital of Juba in an attempt to contain an avian flu threat reported in the region several months ago, officials said.

Samson Kwaje, the southern Sudan information minister, said a team had been visiting homes to check poultry and destroy suspected cases. The team would also determine how the affected farmers should be compensated.

[Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56437]

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