Needs of thousands of IDPs not addressed - OCHA

Between 370,000 and 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Somalia are in urgent need of assistance and protection, a senior humanitarian official has said.

The IDP populations were living under appalling conditions in public spaces and buildings, reported the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for Somalia. As most IDPs lived outside their clan area, they lacked their traditional coping and protection mechanisms.

"This IDP issue has been neglected for a very, very long time," Philippe Lazzarini, head of office for OCHA Somalia, said on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, very little has been done," he added. "It is important to show visible progress to the community. We have to act."

Many settlements were overcrowded, and even though most shelters were built from recycled garbage, many IDPs had to pay rent to the owners of the land, Lazzarini noted.

"These people are living under miserable conditions, which affects their health," he said. "They lack protection and are subjected to harassment and sexual violence by their landlords."

Some groups had been displaced since the collapse of the Somali government in 1991, while others were forced to relocate as a result of natural disasters such as drought and floods.

The most recent group of IDPs had been attracted by the relative stability in certain areas of the country, such as Somaliland and Puntland in the north. The newer arrivals, as well as the return of previously displaced populations who originated from these areas, were putting enormous pressure on basic social services, stretching them to their limit.

Lazzarini noted that humanitarian agencies had urged authorities to provide space for the IDPs in order to allow for the provision of services.

In the northeastern town of Bossaso, the authorities had identified five plots for the relocation of IDPs. Aid agencies were planning to provide water and set up a school, a medical centre and latrines.

"At the beginning of next year, we should be able to start providing these services," Lazzarini said. "In the long run, these new sites will be integrated into the larger urban plan for Bossaso."

A recent survey carried out in an IDP settlement in Bossaso indicated that 67 percent of IDPs had no access to clean water and 76 percent of households had no access to sanitation.