UN concern over humanitarian situation

The United Nations Security Council has expressed deep concern over the humanitarian situation in Somalia following fighting in the south of the country.

In a press statement on Tuesday, it called on all Somali parties to fulfil their obligation to guarantee safe access to relief agencies and their personnel.

The Council made the call after a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Somalia by the UN's Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Carolyn McAskie.

The Council’s statement noted that members were particularly worried about the situation in northern parts of the Gedo Region, southwestern Somalia. "Successive waves of fighting have caused casualties, large-scale internal displacement and outflow of refugees, while also disrupting the provision of humanitarian assistance to the population of the region," it said.

The statement stressed the link between the humanitarian situation and peace-building efforts in Somalia. It condemned the renewed violence as "further undermining the prosperity and lives of the people and the peace process in the country".

The statement said Council members were concerned over the presence of refugees along the border, and "urged neighbouring states to live up to their international obligations" to move them away from the border areas.

It also expressed concern over the continued flow of weapons to Somalia from other countries and stressed that a ban on Somalia's livestock exports had "severely affected the humanitarian situation". It urged Gulf states which imposed the ban in 2000, due to fears of Rift Valley fever, "to take active steps toward the resumption of livestock imports from Somalia".

"Members of the Council express concern about the under-funding of the UN Inter-Agency Appeal for Somalia for 2002 and encourage donors to come forward with contributions to help alleviate the suffering of the Somali people," the statement concluded.