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Summary: Bob McCarthy, the emergency officer for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Somalia office, spoke to IRIN about the humanitarian emergency caused by widespread drought and food shortages in southern Somalia.
Below are excerpts from the interview: QUESTION: How serious is the food shortage problem in southern Somalia? How many people in the region are affected? ANSWER: At least 1.7 million people are presently in need of food assistance, particularly in Bay, Bakool, Gedo and Lower and Middle Juba regions. This includes some 340,000 children under the age of five, who are at greatest risk. There are reports that the nutritional situation is deteriorating steadily. The number of children admitted to feeding centres in some areas has gone up dramatically. UNICEF and its partners are planning to conduct nutrition surveys to better establish the magnitude of the problem. The next rainy season is not due for another three months, and the environmental situation is unlikely to improve until that time. It is critical that those in need receive urgent assistance. With the effects of extended drought, affected communities are increasingly vulnerable to disease. Since late 2005, there has been an increase in the number of cases of measles. The limited humanitarian access to the population means that measles coverage is well below what it should be. In such conditions, children are more vulnerable to malnutrition, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. Q: What are the underlying causes of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in southern Somalia? A: The failure of the gu rains [March - June] in 2004, coupled with the apparent total failure of the 2005 deyr rains [October - December] has meant agricultural production over the past year has been very poor. Projections for agricultural production in the near future are equally bleak. Southern Somalia - traditionally the breadbasket for the whole country - is experiencing the worst food security conditions in over a decade. Pastoralists from neighbouring Kenya, which is experiencing a similar drought, have been migrating to Lower and Middle Juba in search of pasture. This is putting pressure on limited resources and increasing the possibility of local conflict. Also, most communities are vulnerable due to the lack of effective administration and recurrent localised, clan-based conflicts. As a result, humanitarian agencies have found it difficult to operate in the region. Across the board, stress levels are extremely high. The chronic issues the region faces - such as the need for reconciliation, the lack of rule of law and the drought - have all come together to create the current humanitarian crisis. Q: What is necessary to mitigate the crisis and ensure there is adequate food for vulnerable populations? A: The humanitarian community must meet the needs and reach all the affected populations. The nutritional response must match the feeding - for example, where WFP [the UN World Food Programme] provides food, we must be able to provide nutritional supplements for malnourished children. The food pipeline must be kept open. We must try and keep schools from closing as a result of food shortages. Wells need rehabilitation. We are working with various local and international NGOs in this area - including trucking water to communities where no other options exist. A key strategy will be to reach communities with humanitarian assistance where they reside to avoid the stigma and adverse effects of IDP [internally displaced persons] camps. Within the UN's 2006 Consolidated Humanitarian Appeal for Somalia, UNICEF made a US $18 million appeal, $3.2 million of which we urgently need to get the drought response fully mobilised. The appeal could, however, be re-adjusted in the future to take into account the drought, which is proving to be more critical than projected. Q: Given the precarious security situation in southern Somalia, how does the humanitarian community plan to gain access to vulnerable communities in the region? A: There have been encouraging developments. A recent interagency assessment of the humanitarian situation in southern Gedo was made possible through support from the local administration. The UN is trying to formalise memorandums of understanding with the authorities to ensure security and access. We are also hopeful that the TFG [Somali Transitional Federal Government] can exert a positive influence on local administrations to allow relief work to take place.