IDPs Welfare

OSPAD rapid assessment on Mogadishu IDPs situation & OSPAD call for Humanitarian assistance.

 PROBLEM STATEMENT

For the last sixteen years or so Somalia was not a stable country. In 1991 loosely interlinked clan based factions toppled the central government in Somalia. Soon after the fall of government these armed factions failed to fill the power vacuum they have created and a new wave of power struggle started among them. This led the whole country to a situation of lawlessness and confusion. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed, a number greater than that were hurt or lost their limbs and hundreds of thousands more made homeless as a result of the civil war. There was an influx of refugees who fled the country and still remain camped in neighboring countries such as Kenya while hundreds of thousands more especially those who could not afford to leave the country are displaced inside their home country.  

Despite the severe crises that the Somali people were in this long period of time there was little help that came from the outside world. In 1992-93 the international community intervened in the name of UNOSOM I and II.  Although this intervention came in with a limited humanitarian assistance it did not succeed in ending the political stalemate that the Somali people were suffering from as a result of.

 Somalia a failed state

As many as 15 reconciliation conferences were held in neighboring countries in an effort to restore rule of law and functioning central authority to Somalia. But all was in vain. The last reconciliation conference held in Nairobi in 2004 produced the current fragile Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Unable to assert its control all over the country especially the capital the TFG solicited the Ethiopian government to help it strengthen its presence in the country. The bulk of the Somali people were never happy about the Ethiopian presence in the Somali soil simply because they see the Ethiopians as their historic enemy due to the disputed Ogaden region which the two countries went to war over several times.   The Ethiopian forces were encountered with fierce resistance from heavily armed insurgents disgruntled at their presence in Somalia. This led to fierce and deadly fighting in the capital in March and April 2007. As the fighting took place in residential areas its toll on the civilian population was so immense. An estimated one thousand most of whom civilians were killed, several thousands more were injured and more than four hundred thousands fled their homes and are displaced on the outskirts of Mogadishu especially Ceelasha Biyaha area which is half way between Afgoye and Mogadishu.

Ceelasha Biyaha area which is half way between Afgoye and Mogadishu.

       Another round of fighting between the Ethiopian forces and the Somali Transitional Federal Government forces on one side and insurgents opposed to their presence on the other took place between October 27 -29 forcing yet another wave of refugees. Whole families were forced to flee their homes. The fighting caused family members to flee to different directions thus causing many children and their parents to go astray and miss each other. An estimated 95 thousand ran way from their homes in the capital as a result of the latest round of fighting. These people went out of the city to any place they thought was safe enough. Some already reached remote parts of the country such as Hiran region in the middle of Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland. They used any affordable means of transportation including buses, donkey carts and wheelbarrows.  Most of these people are camped in Ceelasha Biyaha area which is about 13km south west of Mogadishu. They live in a desperate situation with all basic necessities of life virtually not existent.
 

Due to the fragile physical conditions of these people some contagious and tropical diseases are common among their circles. These illnesses include:

·        Diarrhea among both the children and the elderly

·        Respiratory complications especially among the children under five

·        Malaria, TB and others

 Very limited aid was delivered to these refugees so far because of bad security which hampered the effort of the aid agencies. They have no shelter, food, medicine, drinking water and cooking utensils.     

URGENT ACTION NEEDED.

 Unless the international community acts NOW Somalia will be a scene of great humanitarian catastrophe. The immediate needs of these displaced persons include make shift camps, blankets, food, cooking oil, medicine, cooking utensils and drinking water. Organization for Somalis Protection and Development (OSPAD) which is non profit making, non political and sectarian established to respond to humanitarian crises and foster social development is calling on all aid agencies to be quick in their intervention in the plight of these refugees. OSPAD is prepared to work as a partner with any aid agency or NGO wishing to intervene.  OSPAD will facilitate assessment of priority needs of the displaced persons and distribution of aid to them.