Aid agencies call for solution to Somalia’s humanitarian woes

Fifteen international aid agencies on Monday called for long term solutions to humanitarian needs in Somalia which has over 2 million people in dire need of assistance.In a joint statement issued in Nairobi, the agencies which included CARE International, World Vision and International Rescue Committee warned that the humanitarian needs in Somalia must not be ignored as violence, disease and hunger are still a daily reality for the communities. “Agencies are calling for an approach that balances the immediate needs and basic rights of communities in crisis, whilst ensuring appropriate long term planning for a stable and peaceful future for Somalia,” they said.The agencies also called on the international community to maintain their support for humanitarian needs in the country. They expressed fears that a political vision for Somalia’s future development may come at the cost of lifesaving interventions for communities still caught up in the country’s conflict and only just recovering from the devastating effects of last year’s food crisis and famine.They said despite multiple externally led political processes, the situation on the ground is still far from stable. Although famine conditions have subsided, malnutrition rates are still unacceptably high, according to the FSNAU (Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit).Somalia’s Transitional Federal Institutions are in the process of implementing a roadmap – known as the Roadmap for Ending the Transition in Somalia – devised in September last year, that spells out priority measures to be carried out before the current transitional governing arrangements end in just a few months, on Aug 20. agendas. “At this stage in the Somalia crisis, encouraging interventions that strengthen communities’ resilience to shocks and foster durable, peaceful resolution of conflict at a grassroots level are critical,” the agencies said.They called on increased attention to be given to linking relief, recovery and development support, to reduce gaps and maximize the efficiency and impact of humanitarian assistance. Somali voices, whilst welcoming the support of the international community, must be the loudest in these processes, they said.The agencies decried violence, saying armed conflict continues to cause tremendous human suffering and access for humanitarian organizations is “extremely limited” in most parts of South Central Somalia. “What international actors describe as ‘liberated areas’ or ‘safe havens’ are in fact so dangerous that few humanitarian agencies risk sending their employees there,” they said.According to the agencies, some 1.36 million people are internally displaced at present, and over a million Somalis are refugees, after having been forced to flee. Mogadishu hosts some 184,000 internally displaced people who have no durable solutions in sight, and many urban poor in need of continued humanitarian assistance to make it through the day. “These needs must not be forgotten, and the rights of communities in crisis prioritised when considering long term development planning,” the agencies said.