- The situation i Somalia is unpredictable. Although the Interim
government with the support of the Ethiopian government troops advances and controls important Somali cities, it is highly uncertain how and when the Islamic Courts Union troops will resist, says Kari
Øyen i Norwegian Church Aid.
As fighting in Somalia intensifies, ACT member Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is mobilising staff and resources to respond to the displacement of people in the
Gedo region. NCA is the only ACT member and international aid agency present in Gedo region.
NCA has been reinforcing its operational capacity from Mandera
(north east of Kenya) and
Garbaharrey in the Gedo region of
Somalia to respond to the worsening humanitarian situation during which thousands of people have been displaced by recent clashes between Ethiopian forces
(aligned with the Somali Transitional Federal Government) and the Islamic Courts Union.
Relief items, including plastic sheeting, blankets, cooking
utensils and household items, as
well as water containers for up to 1,000 families are being purchased and sent from Nairobi this week. Inside Somalia, thousands of people fleeing the conflict are reported to be caught in a desperate
situation.
NCA field staff in Garbaharrey report that some 10,000 people
have been displaced after fleeing the fighting further south.
People continue to arrive in the area and
are setting up camp in surrounding villages-a situation that is overwhelming for the
host communities. There are also reports of several thousand
people displaced in the Bay, Hirann, Mudug,
Juba, and Shabelle
regions.
Although no large-scale refugee movements from Somalia have yet been recorded in neighbouring countries, ACT members in Kenya continue to monitor the
situation. NCA has so far allocated 250,000 Norwegian Kroner ($40,093 US) from its emergency fund and plans to request additional support through the ACT Rapid Response Fund. NCA has also applied for
emergency funding through the Norwegian Ministry of Home Affairs to respond to this crisis.
Contact:
Kari Øyen, Program Coordinator East-Africa, tel: +47 95 80 37 34
Kirsten Engebak, Area Representative Kenya, Somalia and Uganda, tel: +47 97 58 25 58
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
