Operation save lives in Somalia

Somalia has suffered severe affects from long running conflict and food shortages (Photo: SCIAF)

Percy Patrick, SCIAF Programme Officer was in Africa during August and September 2011 and in this article he talks about the latest famine and conflict situation in Somalia and SCIAF’s humanitarian response to mitigate the suffering of affected people

Situation overview:

Somalia’s humanitarian situation remains acute, characterised by famine, conflict and health challenges which are largely concentrated in the south. 4 million people remain in crisis nationwide, 3 million of whom are in the south.

According to the latest survey by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU), of these 750,000 people risk to death in the next 4 months. The number of malnourished children in Somalia has increased from 390,000 to 450,000 over the past few weeks.

Nearly 1.5 million Somalis (19% of total population) are internally displaced within the country and more than 917,000 people are living as refugees in the neighbouring countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti. This means that 30% of Somalis have been displaced from or within their home country.

The poor performance of the April-June rains in 2011 (combined with the failure of the October-December 2010 rains) has resulted in the worst annual crop production in 17 years. Sky-rocketing food prices and significantly eroded purchasing power are the main contributing factors to the current food crisis.

Diseases continue to take their toll on a population already weakened by famine and conflict, with outbreaks of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea, malaria, measles and pneumonia afflicting the country.

Humanitarian response:

SCIAF is working through partners in South Central Somalia to respond to food, water, livelihoods, health and hygiene needs in the current crisis by carefully selecting those most at risk and vulnerable and by targeting rural communities which have greater levels of poverty and less access to assistance.

Food assistance – 24,000 men, women and children (4,000 families) have received food vouchers in August 2011, which they can exchange with local traders for a monthly supply of cereal, pulses and cooking oil. Of these, 1,600 families (9,600 people) were receiving their second round of monthly food vouchers. By giving 50 kg of sorghum per family, the intervention is providing 88% of the household cereal requirements. The partners have directly negotiated with food suppliers and entering into agreements to maintain food prices for a period has helped stabilize prices for the project.

Water access – 16,800 people or 2,800 families have been issued with water vouchers in August. The people are accessing 40 litres of safe water daily for domestic use through local water suppliers with whom prices including transport costs have been agreed. Agreements to expand the intervention to provide water vouchers to an additional 1,200 families or 7,200 people have been finalised with water suppliers.

Livelihoods – As the planting season approaches, partners are in negotiation with local supplies for the purchase of seeds and other agricultural inputs, which will be distributed in the coming weeks.

SCIAF

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

Operation save lives in Somalia