UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review

Transcription

1 January 2007 Political and security developments Mogadishu continued to be the focus of new political developments as the humanitarian crisis due to flooding and fighting continued to affect the Jubba Valley and the Lower Shabelle area. The changes in Mogadishu came as the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) with Ethiopian support continued to expand its control in Central/Southern Somalia. Armed confrontations took place near Jilib town in the east and Kudha area to the south. Ethiopian troops were supported by US forces in bombing the Council of Somali Islamic Courts (COSIC) IN Kudha/Afmadow and Badda Madow area. Civilians were among the casualties. President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and his Prime Minister Ali Gedi visited Mogadishu. For the first time in 16 years there was a President in the official residence in Mogadishu. He held talks with a cross-section of people: clan elders, intellectuals, civil society representatives, women s groups, political faction leaders and politicians. The TFG announced that it was planning to hold talks to promote reconciliation in the country. TFG and Ethiopian troops were deployed to protect Mogadishu sea and airport as well other strategic locations. TFG police have been deployed in most of the police stations in Mogadishu. In the Jubba Valley, Ethiopian troops were deployed in Jilib town, Kismayo sea and airport and other strategic locations in Lower Jubba. The security situation in Mogadishu nonetheless continues to deteriorate with increases in individual killings. Fatalities included a TFG colonel. There has been a marked increase in armed robberies, car-jackings, kidnappings and attacks and ambushes of Ethiopian troops, mainly at night. Mortar shells have killed several people including women and children in the former Taleh Primary School. New students at the opening of Abdalla Derow Girls Primary School in Baidoa on UNICEF continues to support efforts to boost enrolment of girls in schools in Somalia. Credit: UNICEF Somalia/Abdulkadir Dalib One of the Council of Somali Islamic Courts leaders, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmad surrendered to Kenyan authorities who later freed him. He is now reported to be in Yemen where a request for asylum could be considered. Meanwhile, efforts to put in place a new administration for Middle Shabelle region met opposition from the previous local administration which had been driven out of power by COSIC. Contents Political and security developments 1 Programme Updates Health and Nutrition 2 Water and Environmental Sanitation update 3 Education update 3 Youth development update 4 HIV/AIDS update 4 Child Protection 5 Communication for development update 5

2 2 On 13 January, The Transitional Federal Parliament approved the enactment of a three-month emergency law to govern the country. Later on 17 January, Parliament dismissed the Speaker Sheikh Sharif Hassan. Mr Aden Mohamed Nur known as Madoobe was elected the new Speaker. Clashes between two clans in Biyo Adde village, 42km east of Mahaday district left16 people dead and 19 others injured, most of them civilians. Another two people were killed and five others lost their lives in fighting over water between rival clans in Manas village, about 30km south of Baidoa, Bay region. An assessment conducted in Idaale and Daynuuney villages of Baidoa district reported observing corpses and explosives where fighting had been fiercest between the TFG and COSIC forces in December. About 350 families were displaced in the villages. Malaria was reported to be a major problem and two measles cases had been reported. Donors: A three day donor consultative conference was held in Northwest Somalia ( Somaliland ). In attendance were representatives of the Somaliland administration, the UN, World Bank and the European Union. They discussed strategies for development with donor support in Somaliland. A similar consultative conference was held in Northeast Somalia ( Puntland ). Journalists arrested: Two newspaper editors, Yusuf Abdi Gabobe of the Somaliland Times and Ali Abdi Dini of Haatuf, were arrested for allegedly insulting Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin and publishing derogatory information about him and his wife. Three members of the East African Professional Journalists Association (EAPJA) including Chairman, Abel Al Baz had hoped to raise the issue of the arrests with the administration. However, they denied entry to Somaliland. Yusuf Gabobe is a founder-member of EAPJA. The association, which has members in Somaliland, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Tanzania and Rwanda, advocates for press freedom issues in Eastern Africa. Meanwhile, a Somaliland Times report of 13 January 2007 said Somaliland is willing to discuss investments in the agriculture sector by African farmers including those evicted from Zimbabwe. Health and Nutrition update Polio: About 112,000 children aged less than five years were immunized in Togdheer and Sool regions of Somaliland during campaigns carried out in January. A polio campaign also carried out in Northeast Somalia ( Puntland ), aims to immunize about 70,000 children against the disease. Malaria: Insecticide treated nets for protection against malaria were distributed to areas affected by floods in Central/Southern Somalia nets were distributed to InterSoS and another 12,000 to MSF-Spain. 2

3 3 Diarrhoea: There was a marked increase in cases of diarrhoea in Hiran region. In response, UNICEF dispatched supplies for prevention and treatment to Somali Red Crescent Society and other partners. The incidence of diarrhoea was higher in rural villages than in towns. Various partner organizations opened supplementary feeding centres to cater for malnourished children in Gedo, Jilib, Afmadow and Hagar. Water and Environmental Sanitation update Projects: Construction and rehabilitation work continued on the Arabsiyo, Jamalaaye, Wadaamagoo, Agabar, Gebiley, Zeila, and Huluul in Somaliland. Hygiene: Hygiene awareness activities for improved sanitation took place in Sool, Togdheer, Sanaag and Sahil regions. Efforts to ensure improved access to clean water continued in flood-affected areas of Bu ale and Salaagle, Middle Jubba region. Hygiene promotion was also conducted in various locations in Central/Southern Somalia. Chlorine was provided to Hiran region for treatment of water supply sources and household drinking water. Community hygiene and awareness promotion, chlorination training, and clean up campaigns were completed in Hoddur, Kansa-dere, Sakow, and Bardera. Final monitoring of the activities is underway. Education update Child-to-child learning: This initiative continued in Somaliland with young people helping to facilitate the learning activities by children in schools. They are helping children to learn about child rights, basic health and environmental issues. The initiative helps children learn how to make decisions, deal with problems and improve their communities. They are also encouraged to improve and beautify the school environment and develop a spirit of self-reliance. Training: UNICEF and the Somaliland administration trained 15 staff of the Ministry of Education in examination and certification skills to enable them set, mark and assess non-formal education candidates. Non-formal education provides basic language and arithmetic skills to people who never had access to formal education. 3

4 4 Nomadic education: A one-day workshop was held in Garowe, the administrative capital of Puntland to discuss the process and possibility of providing education to nomadic children. Among recommendations: the application of the current formal education curriculum and the use of mobile school tents for learning. Back to school campaign: UNICEF and its partners carried out a campaign to get children back to school in flood-affected areas. Working with community education committees serving 56 schools in Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions it succeeded in getting all floodaffected schools in Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle and Hiran reopened. In the riverine villages of Merka, foundation slabs were laid for the erection of school tents. Temporary shelters for learning were provided to Garash IDP camp in Jowhar, Middle Shabelle and school tents to accommodate 1,029 children were completed in Gedo region. Rehabilitation of a girls only school in Baidoa was also completed. Supplies: Furniture, computers and accessories, books, registers and stationery were supplied to local authorities and primary schools and learning centres in Central Somalia. HIV/AIDS update Briefing: Somaliland Ministry of Health and Labour officials, UN and NGO staff were briefed on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV by five facilitators. With UNCEF sponsorship, the five had previously attended a course on PMTCT in Uganda. UNICEF supported We Are Women Activists (WAWA) a Bossaso-based NGO that is involved in advocacy work as part of the women-to-women initiative. The initiative involves women reaching out to their peers to raise awareness about HIV. The WAWA facilitators organized advocacy and awareness sessions among women in 12 districts in Puntland. The initiative included house-to-house advocacy to increase understanding about HIV prevention and care and increase support among women in the districts. Support: UNICEF provided capacitybuilding support for HOPE, an NGO which works with people living with HIV to raise awareness. HOPE is currently conducting awareness campaigns among communities in Nugal region, Puntland. Youth Participation and Development Sports: Playgrounds in Sool and Sanaag were completed through partnership with URDO and SSDO organizations respectively. 4

5 5 Child Protection update Training: A two-day workshop on juvenile justice was held in Hargeisa at the end of December. It was organized by the Somaliland Lawyers Association (SOLLA) and the legal Clinic of Hargeisa University. Various proposals related to the juvenile justice and its application were made during the workshop. Advocacy: UNICEF in collaboration with TASS, a local NGO in Puntland, is working with communities to enable them to develop child protection initiatives. Meanwhile, 40 members of community support organizations in two Bossaso IDP camps have been trained to help children and women cope with psychological and social problems within the camps. The training was conducted by UNICEF partner, Action in Semi-Arid Land (ASAL), and trainees included Koranic school teachers, youth and women. Communication for Development development. Leadership and management training organized by UN-Habitat took place in Borama with participants from Berbera and Borama. 108 people, including 24 teachers, from four IDP camps in Bossaso were trained by the Girls Development Association (GDA) to provide psychological care and support in the camps. Emergency: Three boats with accessories and equipment were made available to partners in Middle Shabelle (InterSoS and Farjano) and Hiran (Somali Red Crescent society) for use in providing relief supplies following flooding. If you have questions about the UNICEF Somalia Monthly Review please contact: Denise Shepherd-Johnson, Communication Officer. dshepherdjohnson@unicef.org OR Robert Kihara, Assistant Communication Officer. rkihara@unicef.org Tel: / / / / Fax: / Credit for majority of content in this report goes to UNICEF staff in Somalia. Training: In Borama, a number of training events were conducted to promote community dialogue for development in Somaliland. Over in Bossaso, representatives of the local Puntland administration, UN agencies and NGOs were briefed on the concept of community-driven 5