Humanitarian agencies warn of impending catastrophe in Somalia

Mogadishu– Rabi Al Awwal 18 1429/ March 26, 2008 – As many as 40 humanitarian agencies have warned of an impending catastrophe in Somalia unless urgent action is taken. The warning comes after seven people died in the latest fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian troops supporting Somalia's government. Reports say insurgents attacked and briefly took control of the southern town of Jowhar. One million Somalis have left their homes because of insecurity and hunger, BBC reported quoting the aid agencies as saying. Over the past year, Mogadishu has been rocked by almost daily violence and the agencies say a further 20,000 people flee the capital every month. The UN Security Council will discuss the situation tomorrow.

Last week, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon presented the council with a report proposing the deployment of 27,000 peacekeepers to replace the stretched African Union force. Five soldiers and two civilians were killed in the latest outbreak of fighting in Jowhar, about 90 km (60 miles) north of Mogadishu. Residents told the BBC that hundreds of fighters, belonging to the Union of Islamic Courts, attacked the town and freed several prisoners. In a joint statement, the 40 local and international aid agencies point out that in October last year they warned Somalia was heading towards crisis. Six months on, they say, the situation in the country had deteriorated dramatically and access to those in need had got far worse. The continued fighting in Mogadishu was displacing 20,000 others every month, the agencies warned.

The agencies said two million Somalis needed daily help to survive the crisis, which has been made worse by record food prices, hyper-inflation and drought in many parts of the country. Seasonal rains due to start soon are also predicted to fail. "For too long, the needs of ordinary Somalis have been forgotten," the agencies said. They urged "the international community and all parties to the conflict to urgently focus their attention on the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Somalia". "They must ensure access for humanitarian supplies, live up to their responsibility to protect civilians and address the environment of impunity," they added. "The humanitarian crisis will become more and more complex and will continue to deepen in the absence of a political solution to the current crisis." Last month, the UN warned that Somalia was the world's "forgotten crisis.

HA/IINA

www.islamicnews.org