Tuesday, February 24, 2009

ICRC warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Somalia

The humanitarian situation in the central region of Galgadud, north of the Somali capital Mogadishu, is among the worst in the country, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Tuesday.

A statement from ICRC issued in Nairobi said the plight of thousands of displaced people is compounded by severe drought.

In the central region of Galgadud, the ICRC said, several thousands of people had to flee their homes earlier this year because of heavy fighting. The severe drought has further aggravated the situation for the displaced and residents alike.

"We fled from Mogadishu two years ago and when we arrived in Dusamareb (the capital of the central region) we were hoping for a better life. But then we started suffering from the drought and now the conflict has followed us," said Faduma Mahmud, an elderly woman who has been displaced with her entire family.

"We had to leave town and we will not go back in the near future. There is nothing to go back to," Mahmud told ICRC staff in the war torn nation.

Nearly two decades of conflict, poor security conditions and widespread lawlessness continue to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

In addition, recurrent droughts and high food and fuel prices contribute to food insecurity and high malnutrition rates in many areas.

According to ICRC, millions of Somalis continue to depend on humanitarian assistance while families have inadequate shelter. They are short of water and may run out of food soon.

The aid agency said the drought in the central region and the lack of security have aggravated an already appalling humanitarian situation.

It said displaced families are severely affected by the lack of water. Most have found refuge in remote places far from water points and have to walk hours to reach wells and boreholes.

"The displaced people are exhausted," said Pascal Mauchle, headof the ICRC's Somalia delegation.

"Many cannot even find a tree to protect them from the blazingsun. They sit in the open, without shelter, and struggle every day to survive in the harsh conditions."

At the end of January, the ICRC started a major water supply operation in the region. It installed 10 water reservoirs close to major settlements of the displaced and began delivering water by truck to 60 different locations for an estimated 72,000 people.

Somalia lacks medical facilities able to cope with large influxes of wounded people and provide adequate care for the victims of violence.

The ICRC provided several facilities in the central region with dressing kits and other medical items to treat and stabilize the wounded before they are transferred to the ICRC-supported Keysaney and Medina Hospitals in Mogadishu, where over 360 wounded people have been treated since the beginning of the year.

"The medical facilities and hospitals accept all patients, regardless of their clan, religious or political background," said Valery Sasin, who coordinates the ICRC's health activities in Somalia.

Working with the Somali Red Crescent Society, the ICRC said it has distributed essential household items to about 72,000 people in the Galgadud region.

The items included shelter material, kitchen sets, clothes for adults and children, mats, blankets and jerrycans.

The ICRC provides more than 100,000 people with shelter, water and medical care.

Source: Xinhua

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