Interview with UN Humanitarian Coordinator

The fighting in Mogadishu has caused the displacement of even more people, in a city that already was home to an estimated 250,000 long-term internally displaced people. Health facilities are reportedly unable to cope with the large numbers of casualties from the violence. In an interview, Eric Laroche, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, talks about the UN’s strategies to address humanitarian needs in the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Below are excerpts: QUESTION: How does the UN plan to respond to the humanitarian crisis? ANSWER: The present 'calm' in Mogadishu offers a window of opportunity to scale up interventions to the 250,000 IDPs [internally displaced persons] residing in the capital in the most appalling conditions you can imagine, and the additional 17,000 people displaced due to the recent conflict. We are planning to deploy a mission to Mogadishu as soon as possible, but we will only be able to do so once we have been given guarantees and assurances of security and access by the duty-bearers on the ground. Priority needs are in health, water and sanitation, and protection, and will we focus on scaling up existing activities, tapping on local resources and further building on positive coping mechanisms developed at community level. The above said, humanitarian needs in Mogadishu should not distract us from the broader vulnerability in southern Somalia, where effects of the drought remain vast. Q: Now that calm seems to have returned to Mogadishu, are there plans by the United Nations to approach the Islamic courts group, which is currently controlling the city, with a view to re-establishing a more direct UN humanitarian presence in the Somali capital? A: We have initiated contact with the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) as well as the governor of Mogadishu with a view to enhancing our operations in the capital. For now, the ICU is de facto in control of Mogadishu, thus we have to engage with them to ensure access to those who are in need. The Transitional Federal Government has just appointed the governor of Mogadishu as the focal point for both humanitarian aid to the capital as well as initiating dialogue between the TFG and the Sharia [Islamic] courts. Q: Has any assistance so far been provided by the UN to Mogadishu residents affected by the recent conflict? A: Because of the fighting, both the measles and polio vaccination campaigns were interrupted. The situation is now improving - 300,000 children were vaccinated against polio last week, and the anti-measles campaign will resume in the coming few days. On 28 May, the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross]-serviced Keysaney Hospital was occupied by militia allied to the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism, in total breach of international humanitarian law. Medical services were reduced to a minimum and most patients were hastily removed. The hospital is now free again. Q: How has the lack of significant UN presence in southern Somalia affected the humanitarian situation there? A: UN presence in Somalia is indeed limited due to various reasons, including insecurity, lack of appropriate infrastructure and limited number of international and local NGOs. The situation is changing gradually, and within the next month UNDP [UN Development Programme] will be posting 20 international staff to Baidoa across its programmes in rule of law and security, governance and poverty reduction. In addition, during the drought, presence was boosted in locations such as Wajid and Hudur. If I take the example of nutrition, in drought-affected areas, against an estimated 58,000 malnourished children under five years of age, the present coverage of supplementary and therapeutic programmes remains unacceptably low, reaching less than 15 percent of the total. Of the 58,000, about 10,000 are severely malnourished. What we are lacking is sustainable access. WFP [UN World Food Programme] has been able to deliver food through local partners in the Jubas, but security incidents and lack of adequate infrastructure have delayed distributions. Recent surveys undertaken in Afmadow, Jilib and Buale/Sakow have shown very severe acute malnutrition, ranging from 4.2 to 6.6 percent, which is three times higher than in Darfur. We need donors to support us with more flexible emergency funding to enable investment in the operational capacity of the NGOs on the ground. So far, the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) is 43 percent funded, but most is towards the food sector, while other critical non-food sectors like health, sanitation, shelter, agriculture and education are less than 20 percent funded. It does not make sense in the longer term just to provide food. You may feed a child today, but if she or he still has no access to clean water or essential medicines, then you create a vicious cycle of despair. We have to approach the situation in a holistic manner to ensure that the people in need can survive beyond the emergency phase.