IRIN interview with Randolph Kent, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia

The recent flare-up of fighting in Somalia has led to concern among humanitarian agencies over the impact of renewed conflict on an already vulnerable population. Fighting in the southern port of Kismayo and in the northeastern port of Bosaso has been among the heaviest seen in recent years. It comes at a time when aid workers are trying to sound the alarm over poor rains and crop failure in areas of the south, and the effects of general economic malaise as a result of a livestock export ban imposed on Somalia by the Gulf states in 2000. Randolph Kent, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Nairobi, talked to IRIN about the need to establish essential humanitarian access in the face of the new crisis.

QUESTION: What does the new upsurge of fighting in the south mean for humanitarian access?

ANSWER: We are very concerned that with fighting not only in the south but also in the northeast, we will see more and more people in greater need, who are prevented from getting assistance... More than that, we are very worried that the kind of fighting going on now will create more vulnerable people. The food shortages and water shortages we have seen in recent weeks in Gedo, Bay and Bakol, possibly Hiran, and elsewhere, are intensifying, because the fighting drives people out of their homes... [it] makes their lives not just more miserable, but perhaps threatens their very existence.

Q: Instability in Kismayo has made the port generally “off limits” for the humanitarian community for some time. What is the situation now?

A: What we seem now to be facing is a series of attacks from one side and the other, leaving the city a bit uncertain... as troops march down from Jilib, from Mogadishu, or wherever, people along the way in the villages and in Kismayo itself will be driven out, or at least will be prevented from having access to assistance. That means that not only will we have more people in need, but we fear we will have less ability to get to them.

Q: Was there a UN presence in the areas affected by fighting?

A: There has been a UN presence in Somalia since the founding of the country; the UN has never left. Those who have left have been international workers who are not allowed to stay in areas of extreme tension. But the agencies of the UN - be it in Kismayo, Merca or Baidoa, Garowe or Hargeysa - have always been there. The UN has been able to maintain its presence through its very brave, outstanding national staff.

Q: But was there any humanitarian relief going into Kismayo before the recent battle?

A: Well, up to very recently there had been various types of assistance to affected populations in and around Kismayo, like the polio vaccine campaigns through nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) working with the UN, and efforts to supply [assistance] for [combating] cholera. What worries me now is that if these supplies are cut off, and the local staff and the NGOs can’t work... then people from Kismayo and the surrounding areas will be left abandoned, and that would be a disgrace.

Q: In terms of getting access, who does the humanitarian office deal with - the faction leaders, or the Transitional National Government?

A: The UN has for over a decade made that point very clear: we work with whomever can ensure us access to people in need. This is not a question of authority, and not a question of constitutional legitimacy. This is a question of how we can get to people in need. So the answer is very simple - we will talk to whoever, wherever, however we can to get the assistance to those who need it.

Q: So who are you talking to in Kismayo?

A: In Kismayo we were talking to the coterie of officers who were there, who could give us access. But this does not mean we will stay only with those we have been speaking with in the past. We need to speak to those who can assure us the safety of our workers, access to affected populations, and the implementation of our assistance.

Q: Looking at the bigger picture of humanitarian assistance in Somalia - is it enough? The UN faces criticism that even areas that are relatively stable, like the central regions, don’t get much attention.

A: I think to some extent there is always a tension between the way the Somali people perceive their needs and what we feel are the priorities... In many instances, we find that the UN and NGO partners are seen as alternatives to working and getting assistance from their own society. You have to bear in mind that the UN is under tremendous pressure financially, so we have to be very sure that what we target is... a priority. We have to first of all ensure that people’s immediate needs are met, and then see how we can support their efforts so that they can go out and recover and rehabilitate their lives.

Q: But Somalia is known to have one of the highest death rates among children under five in the world. Surely that implies the need for more.

A: Is there enough for what we all wish we could do for Somalia? No. Is there enough to try in our own ways to ensure that people are alive and [to] perceive the kind of need they require to stay alive ? - possibly. There are difficulties in dealing with a population of which 60 percent are nomadic. It is often difficult to trace them and find out who is in need and when, and where they might be... And yes, we are not perfect either. There are cases we miss, instances we miss, we know that - but that is not a question of choice or lack of will... or an excuse. We are determined to get to as many as possible - and those who interfere with our efforts are putting themselves as a barrier to the needs of the Somali people. We have to remove that barrier. Fighting and conflict is not an excuse in accessing needy populations... Those who prevent us working are the real killers of the innocent.

Q: What would you say to those involved in the fighting now?

A: Let me say to those who think that fighting is an excuse for preventing access to humanitarian workers to provide relief - it contravenes internationally accepted standards. Everyone - all who purport to be in authority, all who assume they are leaders - have obligations to ensure the access of humanitarian workers. While in the midst of fighting, one might say: “It won’t make any difference, they won’t catch me, we can ignore international codes and standards.” Let me just say, that as we see in [war crime trials in] Arusha and in the Hague, ultimately, those who commit these kinds of violations, will pay.