The take-over by the Islamist Court Union (ICU) of Mogadishu and large parts of Somalia's centre and south have added a high degree of unpredictability to an already very precarious political situation. The effect on humanitarian activities for over two million vulnerable people, including an estimated 400,000 people internally displaced by drought and conflict remains very uncertain. The internationally-recognised Transitional Federal Government lacks authority even in the town of Baidoa, where it has been based since February 2006. It has requested regional organisations to send in a Peace Support Mission - a plan fiercely opposed by the ICU.
Somalia is still suffering heavily from the effects of the 2006 drought, with malnutrition rates extremely high in many areas of the south. Renewed conflict would have a devastating effect on any small recovery achievements made so far. Over the past half year, the international community made some small progress in accessing central and southern Somalia. Supported by national NGOs, they managed to provide drought relief to some areas. But overall, the living conditions of IDPs have not improved over the past 15 years. Effective coordination of the international community's activities and the negotiation of humanitarian access remain of crucial importance. Somalia being one of four pilot coun-tries for implementing the cluster approach as part of the UN's humanitarian reform process, special attention is being given to coordination activities at Nairobi and field level, and the inclusion on an equal footing of national and international NGOs. (...)
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Full Internal Displacement Profile
IDMC's Somalia country page
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
