UNICEF provides relief to children in Somalia

Despite the many other challenges the Somali children face, they are currently battling the effects of drought following the failure of the Deyr rains which normally occur between Octobers to January. According to Robert Kihara, the Communication Officer of UNICEF Somalia, they are working to provide emergency relief services to over 900, 000 people across the country.

Drought-affected areas include central south Somalia and the disputed region (between Punt land and Somaliland) of Sool, Sanaag and UNICEF is providing relief in water, sanitation, hygiene, health, nutrition and education To support these children and their families.

He further noted that in a recent country-wide assessment carried out by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) estimates that almost 2.4 million people (approximately 32% of the population) are currently in humanitarian and food crisis with about 246,000 children acutely-malnourished.

“To ensure that the drought response is cost-effective and sustainable, UNICEF is working with local and international partners in affected areas to rehabilitate and repair strategic water sources (e.g. wells and boreholes) instead of providing water trucking.” Kihara said.

A new borehole opened by UNICEF last week in Saddex Higlo, South Mudug, is now providing almost 1,000 families with water. “The village used to rely heavily on water trucking and needed 10 tankers of water daily at a cost of US$1,400” said Ali Dahir, programme coordinator for the Somali Development and Relief Organization responsible for the drilling of the borehole, “Now the people of the village will no longer have to spend lots of time and money to get water.” He added.

Visiting Saddex Higlo for the hand-over, UNICEF Representative to Somalia Rozanne Chorlton said that it was wonderful to see the water problem of that village resolved especially because any crisis affecting the Somali people is a crisis for Somali children. “As the most vulnerable in society, adversity affects the children most.

The current drought is yet another tragedy to befall Somali children already affected by ongoing conflict and displacement” she said adding that UNICEF will however continue to support communities to respond these challenges even where access to disputed areas makes our work more difficult.

In drought -affected areas UNICEF and partners are also set to introduce a voucher system to enable low-income families to purchase water locally. This not only guarantees families a water supply even as prices rise but ensures that it is for household use.

In addition, UNICEF is supporting the construction of latrines and supplying sanitation and hygiene supplies (such as aqua tabs, chlorine, water bladders, jerry-cans) to benefit agro-pastoralists, households, villages and IDP settlements. Complementary hygiene promotion activities are also taking place to prevent any outbreak of acute watery diarrhea.

In affected communities UNICEF is also providing support to health and nutrition interventions including out-patient therapeutic programmes (OTP), supplementary feeding programmes (SFP) and the provision of essential medicines, oral rehydration salts (ORS) and routine immunization services through health facilities, health posts and mobile health teams.

Source: The Africa News