A model Statement - in Somali – wherein local authorities and community leaders state their commitment to the “Guiding Principles for unhindered access to populations in need of humanitarian assistance and protection” is being disseminated. Copies have been given to District Commissioners and elders of all districts in Bay region, to the District Commissioner of Qansahdere and to members of the municipal council of Luuq. WFP will encourage representatives of local communities to sign the Statement during the agency’s sensitisation campaigns that precede food distributions.

In a parallel effort, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator issued a press release on 14 February addressed to all local authorities in Somalia, calling for a general mobilization to respond to the crisis and urging community leaders to ensure unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and protection of aid workers.

An OCHA-led mission comprising UNDP, UNICEF, WHO, VSF, SCUK, TAKULO (local NGO), SORAC (local NGO), PASWEN (Puntland State Agency for Water Energy and Natural Resources) and HADMA (Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency) assessed the needs in Qandala, Alula and Ishkushuban districts, Bari region, in Puntland State of Somalia, from 1-8 February. The mission observed severe water shortages, population movements away from villages in search of water, with vulnerable people and IDPs staying behind. Recommendations for the immediate future include subsidizing water, water trucking in remote areas, improving existing water sources, food and medical assistance to the displaced, and improving human and animal health services. The mission report is being finalised.

Coordination

ARDO International has been identified as the water and sanitation cluster co-chair together with UNICEF.

On-going response

• Food security

An additional 4,700 MT of different food commodities will be available for dispatch to Somalia in the coming week. Further loan options are currently being discussed with other WFP operations in the region.

WFP advocacy and sensitization campaigns continue in Lower Juba, Middle Juba, Bay and Bakool regions, to discuss upcoming WFP operations with elders, community members, local and regional administration and ensure their support and cooperation with assessment and distribution teams.

As per the original relief distribution plan in southern Somalia, WFP will assist one million beneficiaries and CARE International about 400,000. However, donor support has not yet been confirmed for the 82,000 MT of food required by CARE for this operation. CARE has been distributing food from their remaining stocks. Their ongoing relief distribution covers 220,000 people (36,019 households) in Gedo region and 60,000 (10,000 households) in Galgadud and southern Mudug regions. Care Food-for-Work (FFW) activities supporting about 20,000 beneficiaries (3,250 households) in Bay, Bakool and Hiran regions. The stocks available for both relief and FFW will only be adequate to cover distributions from February to March 2006.

ICRC is planning to respond to the food needs of about 100,000 people (16,450 households) and has started distributing food aid to 48,000 people in Bakool region and 54,000 people in Gedo and Bay regions this week, in partnership with the Somali Red Crescent Society. Families will receive enough maize, pulses and vegetable oil to last two months. This assistance will continue until the next harvest in July.

The relief food distribution plans of the three cooperating agencies (WFP, CARE and ICRC) are being reviewed to achieve a clearer understanding of responsibilities in terms of area coverage by each agency. Letters of understanding will be signed shortly.

• Agriculture and livelihoods

FAO, ASEP and Agrosphere have finalized their estimate of the seeds deficit in southern Somalia. The FSAU’s cereal deficit assessment was used to estimate the amount of seeds required for the next (Gu) season. Seed deficit estimates were also presented to the Agriculture Working Group of the SACB on 13 February for endorsement. FAO will focus particularly on sorghum seeds and cowpea seeds rather than maize. This is in line with the organisation’s approach to diversify crop production and increase resilience of farmers under rainfed conditions through the promotion of sorghum, a cereal which is less demanding in terms of water.

Most FAO interventions will target the Jubas, Gedo and Shabelle regions. FAO will coordinate with WFP to ensure that food distributions are carried out before seed distributions in order to minimize the risk of beneficiaries consuming the seeds.

ICRC is planning to provide 500 empty 200-litre metallic drums to supply water to isolated people and livestock, as well as 500 half drums to be used as troughs by pastoralists on the move in Gedo, Bay, Bakool and the Jubas.

• Health and nutrition

Two meetings were held last week: one among the co-chairs of the health and nutrition cluster, the other with agencies involved in the drought response to discuss strategies and review the Consolidated Appeal projects. Main issues agreed upon:

• The two clusters will hold joint meetings, with two chairs (UNICEF and WHO) and one co-chair (Gedo Health Consortium). To the extent possible, these meetings will take place in the framework of the SACB.

• The communicable diseases surveillance network will be reinforced in the drought-affected areas by the organisations working on the ground (MSF Switzerland, GHC, IMC, CISP). These will send information on a weekly basis and WHO will collate and distribute an analysis of the data.

• Case definitions will be revised and planned training programmes adapted to reinforce the system. Also, emergency procedures will be reviewed and distributed to all partners,

• The Essential Services Package project in the original CAP will be modified to address life-saving strategies and the provision of essential drugs.

• Nutrition surveillance will be done by FSAU (100 sites, weight for height) on a monthly basis. Partners are invited to join the network.

• Water and sanitation

Assessments: ICRC conducted assessments in central and northern Gedo, as well as Bay, Bakool and Lower and Middle Juba regions. UNICEF has completed technical assessments for the rehabilitation of boreholes and distribution of spare parts in Bay and Bakool regions, and undertaken an assessment on IDP conditions in 4 IDP settlements in Bardera Town, Gedo region. ADRA has completed water assessments in Bakool and is planning to target 22,000 people, including 12,000 IDPs. ACF has completed a needs assessment in Bakool region and is carrying out technical assessments on water yields and water quality. World Vision and UNICEF are assessing existing water and sanitation infrastructure in Middle Juba region and have identified locations for chlorination and hygiene promotion activities. COOPI and UNICEF are carrying out a rapid needs assessment on the accessibility and availability of water for pastoral, agro-pastoral, and riverine communities in Bakool and Middle Juba regions. OXFAM has completed needs assessments in Gedo (Bardera and El-Waq) and Lower Juba (Afmadow).

Activities: ICRC has completed water trucking for Khadijo Haji and the installation of new generators for 4 boreholes in Gedo region and rehabilitated boreholes in Gololey and Mido in Lower and Middle Juba. UNICEF rehabilitated the boreholes of Folfeyle, Bay region and Kurta, Bakool region, which are now producing up to 10m3 water per hour. UNICEF has provided chlorine to WES Committees in Wajid, Rabdhure, Yed, El Berde, Garasweyne, Abagbeday, Tyeeglow, Guda and to ADRA to chlorinate the water sources in their area of coverage, as well as trained the WES committee in Bardera, Gedo region, in chlorination, hygiene and sanitation.

Ongoing activities include the deepening by ICRC of 20 shallow wells and the delivery of motor pumps to two locations to facilitate the supply of water trucks in Gedo region, water trucking for Yeed and Ceel Barde areas in Bakool and Dinsor, in Bay, and the provision of fuel to strategic boreholes in Gedo region and the Jubas. ACF is undertaking the rehabilitation of the borewell in Dag, providing fuel for the Wajid town borehole as well as hygiene education in selected communities in Bakool region. ADRA is undertaking hygiene education and chlorination in selected communities in Bakool region, reaching out to 6,000 beneficiaries. UNICEF is providing spare parts for strategic boreholes in Bay and Bakool, deepening 2 shallow wells in the IDP camp in Wajid district through cash for works schemes, as well as installing a pump and generator sets for the Geliya borehole and has started the second attempt for rehabilitation of the borehole in Yeed, all of them in Bakool region. NCA is planning to rehabilitate shallow wells in Gedo region.

Water Cluster partners are providing further information on their response in the water and sanitation sector, which will be shared with FAO/SWALIM for activity mapping.

• Education

On 10 February in Nairobi, UNICEF convened the first education sector meeting. The meeting gathered partners active in the sector and present in the affected areas, namely Trocaire, SC UK, Adra Somalia, WVI-Somalia, Intersos, AET, CISP and SWRDA. Key partners for the response were identified and a matrix on Who is doing What and Where was devised. Some organisations have already responded to the crisis with school feeding programmes and incentives for teachers, especially in Northern Gedo where Trocaire and NCA are providing support to about 5,000 people. Wajid is becoming a reference point where migrants gather in search of assistance. Initial assistance to local schools through emergency education kits and tents has already started. In Bakool region in particular, UNICEF has distributed tents and educational kits to 20 schools in Huddur district, and IDP camps in Wajid. In Bay region, UNICEF has supplied 30 schools in Dinsor, Baidoa, Berdale, Qansahdere and B/Hakaba districts for 8,331 beneficiaries. World Vision in Wajid is providing assistance to 6 schools in the district.

SCUK and ADRA in Hiran, CISP in Galgadud, AET and Intersos in Bay, and WVI in Middle Juba are assessing the impact of the drought on the schools in their field locations. Contacts with Agrosphere for an assessment in Lower Juba are ongoing.

All organisations present at the meeting agreed to be part of the Network for the Drought response in their locations of interest. A strategic response plan based on ongoing activities and additional inputs is due by the end of next week. Regarding resources, all the agencies are engaged in the Consolidated Appeal revision process and some of them have their own financial resources.

• Access

According to field reports, an increasing number of checkpoints/roadblocks lifted by freelance militia are appearing along major roads in Gedo. Between Belet-Hawa and Luuq, and Belet-Hawa and Garbaharey, checkpoints have reportedly doubled since January. Young pastoralists who have lost their assets may be resorting to such activities as a means of gaining some income through exaction of money from travelers. This is said to contribute to the inflation of the price of commodities.

Upcoming events

Food aid: The next Food coordination meeting will take place on Wednesday, 22 February in Nairobi at 14h00 at WFP.

Water and sanitation: The next meeting of the Bay/Bakool Drought Working Group is scheduled for Wednesday, 22 February in Wajid.

Coordination: the next HRG/Drought Working Group meeting will take place in Nairobi on Wednesday, 22 February at 15h30 at OCHA Somalia.