SOMALIA: Shift aid base to "safe" areas in-country, urges UN official

NAIROBI, 21 October 2009 (IRIN) - Humanitarian agencies should move from Nairobi to "relatively safe" areas of Somalia to be able to better serve more than 1.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs) caught up in a "deepening" humanitarian crisis, Walter Kälin, Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of IDPs, said on 21 October.

 "It is essential to find ways to improve humanitarian access and security of humanitarian workers," Kälin told a news conference in Nairobi. "To the extent possible, humanitarian agencies must shift their operations from Nairobi to Puntland, Somaliland and other areas from where the affected regions can be serviced."

 He said these agencies must be given the staff and resources necessary to effectively work in such a difficult and dangerous environment, and should receive respective support by donors.

 Marcus Prior, a spokesman for the World Food Programme in Nairobi, told IRIN: "WFP retains several operational bases across Somalia and has international and national staff inside the country. We would like to have an even greater presence, but Somalia is probably the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian workers to operate in."

 Conflict in Somalia over the past 18 years has led to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of millions of others internally and externally. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR-Somalia) estimates that 1,550,000 Somalis are IDPs while 18,600 are refugees. Since 1 July, the agency says, some 89,000 civilians have been displaced from Mogadishu due to fighting between government forces and Islamist militias opposed to the government.

 Historical divisions

 Since the ousting of President Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia has been largely controlled by warlords backed by different militias. At least 15 attempts have been made to re-establish a national government, the latest being the installation of President Sheik Sharif Ahmed in January 2009. However, Islamic militias opposed to Ahmed have continued attacks on government forces and civilians as well as African Union peacekeepers.

 The country is divided into three regions: the self-declared republic of Somaliland in the northwest; the autonomous Puntland region in the northeast; and the south-central part of the country, housing most of the IDPs.

 Security issues

 Puntland welcomed Kälin's call and said it was ready to cooperate with humanitarian agencies.

 "We will welcome and ensure the security of any agency that wants to establish a base here," said Ali Mohamed Hayaan, director-general of Puntland's ministry of security.

 Hayaan said it made sense for aid agencies, wanting to access south-central Somalia, to operate out of Puntland, "since it would be cheaper and closer to those in need".

 Ali Sheikh Yassin, deputy chairman of the Mogadishu-based Elman Human Rights Organization (EHRO), said while there were "massive violations of the rights of the displaced and, ideally, agencies should be close to them to monitor these violations, however it won't be easy for aid agencies to move to Somalia.

 "Unfortunately, the security situation is such that even Somalis like us are operating under the most extreme insecurity."

 Deepening crisis

 Kälin, who visited Somalia from 14 to 21 October, said the international community was failing the IDPs when the humanitarian crisis was deepening. He said there was a need for a stronger engagement of the international community in Somalia.

 "I am shocked by the degree of violence facing the civilian population in central and south Somalia," he said. "Serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, in particular indiscriminate attacks and shelling of areas populated or frequented by civilians, are being perpetrated by all parties to the conflict with total impunity.

 "Such acts are a major cause of displacement and may amount to war crimes and other crimes under international law."

 Kälin urged all parties to the conflict - state actors and anti-government groups - to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

 Deplorable camp conditions

 "I am deeply concerned about the unacceptable living conditions in some of the IDP settlements I have visited, including lack of proper shelter, food and drinking water; severe malnutrition of children, very poor sanitation, lack of education and health facilities and severe overcrowding," Kälin said.

 Calling on donors to be prepared, Kälin added: "Torrential El Niño rains are expected to further aggravate an already dramatic situation."

 He said lack of humanitarian access to those most in need, dangers for humanitarian workers, such as abductions, as well as a sharp decline in donor contributions, had exacerbated the "long-standing humanitarian crisis and risks bringing it to hitherto unknown levels".

 Exploitation risk

 Although he noted there was risk of aid being diverted, Kälin urged donors not to reduce humanitarian aid. "This would only mean punishing the most vulnerable among already destitute communities but also playing into the hands of radical elements who could easily exploit the situation," he said, urging all actors to grant humanitarian access and ensure safety of humanitarian workers.

 Although he did not visit south and central Somalia, Kälin said he had received testimonies regarding violence and the appalling living conditions of IDPs in the Afgoye corridor, close to the Somali capital, which has one of the highest IDP densities worldwide.

 "Existing humanitarian aid is pitifully insufficient compared to the needs of the displaced who often face severe protection risks and marginalization," he said. "Vulnerabilities are heightened by the fact that many IDPs have been displaced more than once."

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