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Back from the Brink:
Ten Ways the International Community Must Address Somalia’s Humanitarian Crisis
is co-published by Islamic Relief, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
The Humanitarian Forum and the Turkish Red Crescent. It says: “We believe that the
international community is falling short of what the people of Somalia deserve –
to see humanitarian aid delivered to all those who need it in a timely, effective,
sustained and impartial way. The worst of the crisis has passed but 2.3 million
people remain reliant on food aid. Their survival is on a knife edge, and we want
to ensure that they are not forgotten in the eagerness of the international community
to get to grips with piracy and terrorism.”
The report points out that 325,000 children in Somalia are still acutely malnourished,
900,000 Somalis are still living as refugees in neighbouring countries and 1.35
million more are internally displaced. It criticises the slow response of the international
community to the current crisis, the politicisation of aid and the failure to focus
assistance on the areas of greatest need.
The UN declared a drought in parts of Somalia in July, following failure of rains
across East Africa, which left over 12 million people in need of emergency assistance.
In the six months since the declaration, thanks to your continued support, Islamic
Relief has been implementing a £22 million emergency relief programme, supporting
over 1 million people with food assistance and over 400,000 people with clean drinking
water.
In Somalia
- Emergency food distributions have benefited 720,000 people in Bay, Bakool, Lower
Shabelle, Mogadishu and Afgoye
- 160,000 people have received clean drinking water through water trucking, where
over 1.83 million cubic metres of water has been distributed
- 45,000 people have been treated at 3 clinics established by Islamic Relief
- 630 people in life threatening situations have been transported to hospital in Islamic
Relief ambulances
- An emergency diarrhoea isolation unit has been constructed at Banadir Hospital,
providing emergency treatment to children suffering from acute diarrhoea or cholera
- Over 10 tonnes of medicines have been distributed to various hospitals and health
facilities
In Ethiopia
- 227,745 people benefited from the water distributions, hygiene and sanitation education
and distribution of water treatment chemicals
- 9,000 severely and moderately malnourished children have been provided therapeutic
food assistance
- Over 2,500 families have had their animals vaccinated to protect them from drought
induced diseases
In Kenya
- Emegency food distributions have benefited over 60,000 people
- 2,000 severely malnourished children under 5 have been provided with high energy
Ready to Use Food (RUTF)
- 37,000 people have received clean drinking water through water trucking
- 16 shallow wells and 2 borehole wells have been rehabilitated
- 26,800 animals have been vaccinated in Mandera and Wajir
- 900 farmers have benefited from irrigation farming support through seeds and fuel
subsidies
Although the drought conditions have generally eased following rains in October
and December, there remains a need for sustained emergency assistance until the
next harvest.
The next stage of the emergency implementation involves continued emergency support
through food and water distributions as well as:
- Construction of an eye hospital
- The construction and installation of up to 80 deep borehole wells
- The rehabilitation of health facility
- The establishment up of a midwifery school and maternity ward
£75 can feed a family for a month in South Central Somalia
£270 can treat 3 severely malnourished children
£920 can provide clean water to 20 families for a month
£10,000 can run a mobile health clinic for 3 months
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