Diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in the Somali Civil War
Encyclopedia
The Somali Civil War
began in 1988. It has gone through various phases over the past two decades.
In 2006, open civil war broke out between the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism
(ARPCT) in March through June, and later, the Transitional Federal Government
(TFG).
Because the TFG is backed by Ethiopia
, and the ICU is backed by Ethiopian rival, Eritrea
, an escalation of tensions risks turning this into an international crisis and regional war that could spread across the Horn of Africa
.
Over the course of 2006, Ethiopian involvement in the Somali Civil War
has escalated. As of December 20, ICU and Ethiopian forces came into direct conflict in the Battle of Baidoa
.
The civil war is exacerbating already severe conditions in the country. 2006 also saw an extreme drought followed by the worst storms and floods in decades, causing misery and danger to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced person
s (IDPs) and refugee
s that traveled to Kenya
, Ethiopia, Yemen
and beyond.
A number of efforts have been made to reestablish peace in the nation and region, alleviate human suffering, and bring humanitarian relief. There have also been many international expressions of desires and hopes for Somalia's peace, security, and future.
said Ethiopia has every right to defend its sovereignty and supported Ethiopian military actions in Somalia. He blamed the African Union of being slow on what was necessary to restrain Ethiopia from taking unilateral action. However, the BBC reports that the AU has now changed its position and urged Ethiopia to withdraw immediately.
An Arab League
spokesman said his organization would like all hostilities to stop and warring parties to respect the binding agreements they signed before world community. He said Somalia doesn’t need outside intervention and Ethiopia must leave Somalia.
On December 26, US State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos
noted Ethiopia has "genuine security concerns" regarding Somalia and that it had intervened in the country at the behest of the TFG. He refused to comment as to whether the US was actively supplying Ethiopia in the conflict.
Kofi Annan
called Ethiopian and Kenyan leaders to attempt to arrange a halt to the fighting, while the Security Council was briefed on the situation. The Security Council called for an immediate end to the fighting and as it meets Wednesday and onwards. It is reported to be in a deadlock due to differences in opinion between council president Qatar and Western nations over the withdrawal of international troops.
On December 27, the African Union called on Ethiopia to withdraw thousands of troops from Somalia immediately. The call was supported by the Arab League and the east African grouping IGAD.
Refugee
Mainly Somali refugees have gone to the neighboring states of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Yemen. Many of these are living in refugee camps. According to the World Food Programme
(WFP), the regional crisis in the Horn of Africa
in 2006 required their assistance for about 1.5 million persons: "563,000 Kenyans and 100,000 Somali refugees in Kenya, 455,000 people in Somalia and 362,000 in Ethiopia." While not all of these figures for the overall humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa represent Somalis, a very large number are Somalis inside the country or living in refugee camps in other nations.
CARE
estimates 1.8 million people were pushed to the brink of starvation in the region due to drought, flood and civil war combined, while it could only provide food to 600,000 persons. Over 1 million lost their homes due to flooding.
WFP on December 19, 2006 said it was only reaching 255,000 of the 455,000 Somalis in need.
Other refugees from the Somali civil war have disbursed through the world, where they have formed their own communities and integrated into new societies with greater or lesser success. Programs for refugees from Somalia have been set up by many governments, including the US 2000-2003 program for Bantu
refugees.
Location of Somali refugee camps (and their populations):
Location of international Somali communities:
On December 6, 2006 the UN Security Council passed a pair of resolutions involving Somalia:
Somali reaction to the resolutions was generally positive for supporters of the TFG, and negative, angering, or outrightly hostile for supporters of the ICU. It was seen as a US-backed plan. Ever since Operation Restore Hope, and the First Battle of Mogadishu, the United States has not been popular amongst the Somalis.
IGAD and AU members balked at creating the necessary peacekeeping force. There was ICU resistance to allowing Ethiopian troops be part of the mission, for instance. Uganda, the one nation that initially committed to provide a battalion of troops, later backed away from its pledge when the Islamists threatened to attack any UN peacekeepers that entered the country. In its defense, the current crisis does not allow for peacekeepers when there is active hostilities conducted with heavy weapons (see Battle of Baidoa
).
On December 26, at 3 pm New York time (2000 GMT), the UN Security Council heard a briefing on the crisis by special envoy for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall
of Guinea. In the briefing, he said all UN and NGO staff had been evacuated from the area, including the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team. The fighting had put nearly 2 million flood-affected persons at severe risk.
Kofi Annan
called Ethiopian and Kenyan leaders to attempt to arrange a halt to the fighting, while the Security Council was briefed on the situation.
On December 27, the UN Security Council remained deadlocked for the second day, with council chair Qatar
refusing to budge over the demand for withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from the country.
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
By the authority of UN Security Council 1725, the member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development
IGAD and the African Union
(AU) are enchartered to conduct a peacekeeping mission to Somalia. Dubbed IGASOM
, the mission would seek to put UN-sanctioned peacekeepers in the country for the first time since the 1992-1995 missions (UNOSOM I
, UNITAF
, and UNOSOM II
).
On December 2, 2006, representatives of IGAD and the ICU met and published a cordial and formal communique committing the ICU to the IGAD plans. Subsequently, the ICU has declared its opposition to the mission.
IGASOM never deployed to Somalia. Instead, in early 2007, the mission was expanded to invite willing members of the broader African Union, and dubbed the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
African Union
By the authority of UN Security Council 1725, the member states of IGAD and the African Union
(AU) are enchartered to conduct a peacekeeping mission to Somalia. Originally dubbed IGASOM
, the mission would seek to put UN-sanctioned peacekeepers in the country for the first time since the 1992-1995 missions (UNOSOM I
, UNITAF
, and UNOSOM II
). IGASOM never deployed to Somalia. Instead, in early 2007, the mission was expanded to invite willing members of the broader African Union, and dubbed the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
On January 6, 2005 the original plans for the AU to put peacekeepers in Somalia was first agreed by the AU Peace and Security Council. Uganda was cited as the first nation to commit troops to the mission. Yet the mission did not materialize as planned. A year later, no AU or IGAD peacekeepers had been deployed.
On December 23, 2006, the AU issued a release signed by AU President Alpha Oumar Konaré
calling for a cease fire.
On December 26, 2006, the AU implicitly backed Ethiopia's intervention
on behalf of the Somalian Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic
. AU spokesman Patrick Mazimhaka was quoted as saying "We do not criticise Ethiopia because Ethiopia has given us ample warning that they are threatened by the Islamic Courts group,".
On January 14, 2007, an AU delegation arrived in Mogadishu to discuss the deployment of international peacekeepers. Mohamed Foum, the AU special representative for Somalia, said nine delegates had gone to speak to Somali leaders. However, challenges remained, and there was no agreement yet to send peacekeepers to the country.
Yemen
i President Ali Abdullah Saleh
met separately with both TFG and ICU representatives respectively on December 5 and December 6 to see if rapprochement might be possible between the parties. However, for now, both parties said a dialogue was impossible because of increased tensions and fighting.
Yemen has seen a tremendous rise in the number of Somali refugees—numbers have doubled this year to over 150,000. Over 650 refugees were eaten by sharks trying to cross the Red Sea.
On December 20, 2006 just as major hostilities were breaking out, European Union Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid
Louis Michel
conducted shuttle diplomacy
between the TFG seat in Baidoa and the ICU government seat in Mogadishu. The warring parties agreed to talk, but the conflict continued to rage on, worrying observers whether the prospects of talks are moot for now.
On December 25, the EU Presidency, held by Finland, issued a plea to end the fighting in Somalia. EU Commissioner Louis Michel likewise called for the TFG and ICU to resume talks in Khartoum.
On January 3, 2007, EU leaders met and agreed it was unlikely for them to send any peacekeepers to Somalia, and were also unclear about what financial assistance they might give a peacekeeping mission, but affirmed their interest to continue humanitarian support to the nation.
called for a halt to the violence. The Arab League seeks to co-sponsor peace talks with the African Union.
In Egypt, Somalia was discussed, as well as conflicts in Lebanon and Chad, at a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit (also "Abu-al-Ghayt") and Sudanese Arab League envoy to Lebanon Mustafa Osman Ismail
.
On December 24, 2006 in Cairo, Arab League Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ahmed bin Hilli made an appeal for a cessation of fighting in an interview with al-Arabiya television of Dubai
.
On December 26, an Arab League
spokesman said his organization would like all hostilities to stop and warring parties to respect the binding agreements they signed before world community. He said Somalia doesn’t need outside intervention and Ethiopia must leave Somalia.
On December 23, 2006, US Secretary of State
, Condoleezza Rice
met with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa
to urge Uganda to take a leading role in establishing peacekeeping operations in Somalia through IGAD.
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Eric Laroche was assigned as the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for all Somali relief efforts.
OCHA had deployed the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC), but recently had to withdraw it due to security concerns regarding the heavy fighting.
, has spent a great deal of time focusing efforts on the Horn of Africa, which has been struck this year by terrible drought, followed by torrential floods.
On December 26, 2006, UN High Commissioner on Refugees António Guterres
made an appeal to end the crisis in the region and warned of large-scale displacements if fighting continued.
, close to the front of the fighting, for Internally Displaced Person
s (IDPs) who lived there even before the recent phase of the civil war.
World Food Programme
The United Nations
World Food Programme
(WFP) is providing humanitarian relief to hundreds of thousands of persons in Somalia and over a million throughout the Horn of Africa during 2006. As of December 19, 2006, it was providing food to 278,000 of 455,000 affected Somalis.
On December 24, 2006, a WFP-chartered Antonov-12 dropped 14 tons of food to Afmadow
, cut off by recent flooding. Fifty trucks trying to reach Afmadow have been stuck in the mud for seven weeks.
On December 27, WFP airdrop efforts were suspended and personnel relocated from Kismayo to Nairobi, Kenya, after the government put restrictions on flights. Ground operations continued.
On January 2, WFP operations, including UN Common Air Services (UNCAS) flights, were resumed. Offices were reopened in Bu'aale
and Wajid, and deliveries of food resumed to Afmadow
province. A ship docked in Mogadishu on December 26 with 4,500 tons of food, and was finally able to offload its cargo while the port underwent the change of hands from the ICU to a local sub-clan, and finally to the TFG.
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC
) has been operating continuously in Somalia since 1977, when famine and the Ogaden War
caused humanitarian crises. In the case of 2006, their mission has been similarly set by alternating periods of severe drought and flooding, and calamities caused by man-made war.
On December 26, 2006 Antonella Notari, spokeswoman for the ICRC, declared over 800 war wounded had been taken in at Somali hospitals since the beginning of Ethiopian air strikes. She said that thousands were leaving the war zone and that it was too early to tell whether this was a temporary displacement.
On December 31, 2006, a plane chartered by the ICRC on its way to Somalia with a load of fuel drums and aid supplies, crashed not long after taking off in Nairobi, Kenya. The crew of three survived.
The Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) is the national branch of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC).
The local office in Baidoa is at the literal front lines of the civil war.
Ahmed Gure of the SRCS was also on hand to witness the Ethiopian air strikes against Beledweyne
on December 24, 2006:
(MSF) organized flood relief earlier in 2006, in an effort known as the Galgaduud Project. It focused on nutrition, non-food related deliveries, dealt with war-related suffering, as well as medical care.
On December 23, MSF Director of Operations Bruno Jochum expressed concern if military aircraft—especially US military aircraft—might be used to drop humanitarian aid because it risks misperceptions of connection between aid workers and the military, which might make it unsafe to continue working in Somalia.
On February 16, 2007, a gunman attacked two MSF Spain staff in Baardheere. MSF doctors and staff are in the town working to reopen the largest hospital, which had been closed for the past decade. The workers were uninjured. Local tribal leaders pledged their support for the work of MSF in the region.
CARE
CARE
estimates 1.8 million people were pushed to the brink of starvation in the region due to drought, flood and civil war combined, while it could only provide food to 600,000 persons. Over 1 million lost their homes due to flooding.
Save the Children-UK
Has protection officers looking after child welfare at the Dadaab refugee camps and assessing safety of border crossings into Kenya.
Joined with other humanitarian NGOs to appeal to the warring factions to end the conflict.
World Vision
(NCA), a member of ACT, reported that 10,000 people had been displaced to Garbaharrey by recent fighting. NCA was dispensing blankets and relief supplies.
Somali Civil War
The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war taking place in Somalia. The conflict, which began in 1991, has caused destabilisation throughout the country, with the current phase of the conflict seeing the Somali government losing substantial control of the state to rebel forces...
began in 1988. It has gone through various phases over the past two decades.
In 2006, open civil war broke out between the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism
Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism
The Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism was a Somali alliance created by various warlords and businesspeople. The alliance included Botan Ise Alin, Mohammed Dheere, Mohamed Qanyare, Musa Sudi Yalahow, Nuur Daqle, Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid, Omar Muhamoud Finnish and others...
(ARPCT) in March through June, and later, the Transitional Federal Government
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
(TFG).
Because the TFG is backed by Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, and the ICU is backed by Ethiopian rival, Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, an escalation of tensions risks turning this into an international crisis and regional war that could spread across the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
.
Over the course of 2006, Ethiopian involvement in the Somali Civil War
War in Somalia (2006–present)
The War in Somalia was an armed conflict involving largely Ethiopian and Somali Transitional Federal Government forces and Somali troops from Puntland versus the Somali Islamist umbrella group, the Islamic Court Union , and other affiliated militias for control of the country. There is a clear...
has escalated. As of December 20, ICU and Ethiopian forces came into direct conflict in the Battle of Baidoa
Battle of Baidoa
The Battle of Baidoa began on December 20, 2006 when the Somali Transitional Federal Government's forces allied with Ethiopian forces stationed there attacked advancing Islamic Courts Union forces along with 500 alleged Eritrean troops and mujahideen arrayed against them.The battle began with...
.
The civil war is exacerbating already severe conditions in the country. 2006 also saw an extreme drought followed by the worst storms and floods in decades, causing misery and danger to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s (IDPs) and refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s that traveled to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Ethiopia, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
and beyond.
A number of efforts have been made to reestablish peace in the nation and region, alleviate human suffering, and bring humanitarian relief. There have also been many international expressions of desires and hopes for Somalia's peace, security, and future.
International Concerns
A spokesman for the African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
said Ethiopia has every right to defend its sovereignty and supported Ethiopian military actions in Somalia. He blamed the African Union of being slow on what was necessary to restrain Ethiopia from taking unilateral action. However, the BBC reports that the AU has now changed its position and urged Ethiopia to withdraw immediately.
An Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
spokesman said his organization would like all hostilities to stop and warring parties to respect the binding agreements they signed before world community. He said Somalia doesn’t need outside intervention and Ethiopia must leave Somalia.
On December 26, US State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos
Gonzalo Gallegos
Gonzalo Gallegos is the Director of the United States Department of State’s Office of Press Relations. Mr. Gallegos, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, is the Director of the State Department’s Office of Press Relations...
noted Ethiopia has "genuine security concerns" regarding Somalia and that it had intervened in the country at the behest of the TFG. He refused to comment as to whether the US was actively supplying Ethiopia in the conflict.
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
called Ethiopian and Kenyan leaders to attempt to arrange a halt to the fighting, while the Security Council was briefed on the situation. The Security Council called for an immediate end to the fighting and as it meets Wednesday and onwards. It is reported to be in a deadlock due to differences in opinion between council president Qatar and Western nations over the withdrawal of international troops.
On December 27, the African Union called on Ethiopia to withdraw thousands of troops from Somalia immediately. The call was supported by the Arab League and the east African grouping IGAD.
Scope of the Crisis
RefugeeRefugeeA refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s and Internally Displaced PersonInternally displaced personAn internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s (IDPs)
Mainly Somali refugees have gone to the neighboring states of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Yemen. Many of these are living in refugee camps. According to the World Food ProgrammeWorld Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
(WFP), the regional crisis in the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
in 2006 required their assistance for about 1.5 million persons: "563,000 Kenyans and 100,000 Somali refugees in Kenya, 455,000 people in Somalia and 362,000 in Ethiopia." While not all of these figures for the overall humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa represent Somalis, a very large number are Somalis inside the country or living in refugee camps in other nations.
CARE
CARE (relief)
CARE is a broad-spectrum secular relief, humanitarian, and development non-governmental organization fighting global poverty. It is non-political, non-sectarian and operates annually in more than 70 countries across the globe.One of the organization’s primary focuses in its fight to eradicate...
estimates 1.8 million people were pushed to the brink of starvation in the region due to drought, flood and civil war combined, while it could only provide food to 600,000 persons. Over 1 million lost their homes due to flooding.
WFP on December 19, 2006 said it was only reaching 255,000 of the 455,000 Somalis in need.
Other refugees from the Somali civil war have disbursed through the world, where they have formed their own communities and integrated into new societies with greater or lesser success. Programs for refugees from Somalia have been set up by many governments, including the US 2000-2003 program for Bantu
Somali Bantu
The Somali Bantu are a minority ethnic group in Somalia. They primarily reside in southern Somalia, near the Juba and Shabelle rivers, and are the descendants of people from various Bantu ethnic groups originating from what are modern-day Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique who were sold into Somalia...
refugees.
Location of Somali refugee camps (and their populations):
- KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
: Near DadaabDadaabDadaab is a semi-arid town in the North Eastern Province in Kenya. As of 2011, it hosts what is often described as the largest refugee camp in the world.-General:...
, North Eastern ProvinceNorth Eastern Province (Kenya)North Eastern Province is the third largest province in Kenya and has thirteen constituencies represented in the Kenya National Assembly.The region is home to a rare type of antelope called the Hirola, which is classified as an endangered species. The NFD's pastoralists also possess livestock in...
- Hagadera, IfoIfo CampIfo Camp is a refugee camp administered by the UNHCR in eastern Kenya, 420 km northeast of Nairobi and 75 km west of Somalia.- External links :* *...
and Dagahaley refugee camps; LiboiLiboiLiboi is a town in North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is located 18 kilometres west of the Somali border, and is an important border crossing point to Somalia. Liboi is located along the A3 road, 75 kilometres east of Dadaab and 175 kilometres east of Garissa, the provincial and district capital...
- 160,000 refugees total; another 80,000 more may flee by the end of 2006 according to Wendy ChamberlinWendy ChamberlinWendy Chamberlin is a veteran diplomat who has served in the United States Department of State and USAID, worked for the UN High Commissioner on Refugees , and now serves as President of the Middle East Institute.- US Department of State :...
, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner US State Department cites figures may rise to 200,000. UNHCR predicts 250,000. Other reports say the number may grow as high as 400,000.
- YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
- 75,000 - 100,000 (22,000 recent migrants joined a previous figure of 75,000)
- DjiboutiForeign relations of DjiboutiForeign relations with the government of Djibouti are maintained by the Djiboutian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.Links with Arab states and East Asian states, Japan and People's Republic of China in particular, are welcome....
- 100,000 refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia
- EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
- 16,387 refugees still remaining from the early 1990s. However, recent hostilities are likely to cause a new wave of refugees.
Location of international Somali communities:
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Ethnic Somalis: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Washington, DC, MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
; Bantu: Salt Lake City, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Denver, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and Tucson, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
- KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Eastleigh, NairobiEastleigh, NairobiEastleigh is a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the Central business district. Predominantly inhabited by Somali immigrants, it has been described as "Little Mogadishu", as well as "a country within a country with its own economy" on account of its robust business...
- Finland
- DenmarkMinister for Refugees, Immigrants and Integration (Denmark)Minister for Refugees, Immigrants and Integration of Denmark is a Danish ministerial office, often abbreviated as "Minister for Integration" . The office was created by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on 27 November 2001 when he formed the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I after the 2001...
UN Security Council Resolutions
- Resolution 1724, stresses the arms embargo on Somalia and calls all UN member nations to avoid exacerbating the conflict by shipping arms into the region.
- Resolution 1725, authorizes "IGAD and Member States of the African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
to establish a protection and training mission in Somalia." This mission was dubbed IGASOMIGASOMThe African Union Mission in Somalia is an active, regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations in Somalia...
, and for the purposes of their mission, the arms embargo was lifted to allow them to bring weapons into the country.
Somali reaction to the resolutions was generally positive for supporters of the TFG, and negative, angering, or outrightly hostile for supporters of the ICU. It was seen as a US-backed plan. Ever since Operation Restore Hope, and the First Battle of Mogadishu, the United States has not been popular amongst the Somalis.
IGAD and AU members balked at creating the necessary peacekeeping force. There was ICU resistance to allowing Ethiopian troops be part of the mission, for instance. Uganda, the one nation that initially committed to provide a battalion of troops, later backed away from its pledge when the Islamists threatened to attack any UN peacekeepers that entered the country. In its defense, the current crisis does not allow for peacekeepers when there is active hostilities conducted with heavy weapons (see Battle of Baidoa
Battle of Baidoa
The Battle of Baidoa began on December 20, 2006 when the Somali Transitional Federal Government's forces allied with Ethiopian forces stationed there attacked advancing Islamic Courts Union forces along with 500 alleged Eritrean troops and mujahideen arrayed against them.The battle began with...
).
On December 26, at 3 pm New York time (2000 GMT), the UN Security Council heard a briefing on the crisis by special envoy for Somalia, Francois Lonseny Fall
François Lonseny Fall
François Lonseny Fall is a Guinean diplomat and political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Guinea from February 23, 2004 to April 30, 2004....
of Guinea. In the briefing, he said all UN and NGO staff had been evacuated from the area, including the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team. The fighting had put nearly 2 million flood-affected persons at severe risk.
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
called Ethiopian and Kenyan leaders to attempt to arrange a halt to the fighting, while the Security Council was briefed on the situation.
On December 27, the UN Security Council remained deadlocked for the second day, with council chair Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
refusing to budge over the demand for withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from the country.
Intergovernmental Authority on DevelopmentIntergovernmental Authority on DevelopmentThe Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country regional development organization in East Africa. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City....
(IGAD)
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country regional development organization in East Africa. Its headquarters are located in Djibouti City....
IGAD and the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU) are enchartered to conduct a peacekeeping mission to Somalia. Dubbed IGASOM
IGASOM
The African Union Mission in Somalia is an active, regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations in Somalia...
, the mission would seek to put UN-sanctioned peacekeepers in the country for the first time since the 1992-1995 missions (UNOSOM I
UNOSOM I
United Nations Operation in Somalia I was the first part of a United Nations sponsored effort to provide, facilitate, and secure humanitarian relief in Somalia, as well as to monitor the first UN-brokered ceasefire of the Somali Civil War conflict in the early 1990s.The operation was established...
, UNITAF
UNITAF
Unified Task Force was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia between 5 December 1992 – 4 May 1993...
, and UNOSOM II
UNOSOM II
United Nations Operation in Somalia II was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia, from March 1993 until March 1995....
).
On December 2, 2006, representatives of IGAD and the ICU met and published a cordial and formal communique committing the ICU to the IGAD plans. Subsequently, the ICU has declared its opposition to the mission.
IGASOM never deployed to Somalia. Instead, in early 2007, the mission was expanded to invite willing members of the broader African Union, and dubbed the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
African UnionAfrican UnionThe African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU)
By the authority of UN Security Council 1725, the member states of IGAD and the African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
(AU) are enchartered to conduct a peacekeeping mission to Somalia. Originally dubbed IGASOM
IGASOM
The African Union Mission in Somalia is an active, regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations in Somalia...
, the mission would seek to put UN-sanctioned peacekeepers in the country for the first time since the 1992-1995 missions (UNOSOM I
UNOSOM I
United Nations Operation in Somalia I was the first part of a United Nations sponsored effort to provide, facilitate, and secure humanitarian relief in Somalia, as well as to monitor the first UN-brokered ceasefire of the Somali Civil War conflict in the early 1990s.The operation was established...
, UNITAF
UNITAF
Unified Task Force was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia between 5 December 1992 – 4 May 1993...
, and UNOSOM II
UNOSOM II
United Nations Operation in Somalia II was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia, from March 1993 until March 1995....
). IGASOM never deployed to Somalia. Instead, in early 2007, the mission was expanded to invite willing members of the broader African Union, and dubbed the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
On January 6, 2005 the original plans for the AU to put peacekeepers in Somalia was first agreed by the AU Peace and Security Council. Uganda was cited as the first nation to commit troops to the mission. Yet the mission did not materialize as planned. A year later, no AU or IGAD peacekeepers had been deployed.
On December 23, 2006, the AU issued a release signed by AU President Alpha Oumar Konaré
Alpha Oumar Konaré
Alpha Oumar Konaré was the President of Mali for two five-year terms , and was Chairperson of the African Union Commission from 2003 to 2008.-Scholarly career:...
calling for a cease fire.
On December 26, 2006, the AU implicitly backed Ethiopia's intervention
War in Somalia (2006–present)
The War in Somalia was an armed conflict involving largely Ethiopian and Somali Transitional Federal Government forces and Somali troops from Puntland versus the Somali Islamist umbrella group, the Islamic Court Union , and other affiliated militias for control of the country. There is a clear...
on behalf of the Somalian Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic
Transitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
. AU spokesman Patrick Mazimhaka was quoted as saying "We do not criticise Ethiopia because Ethiopia has given us ample warning that they are threatened by the Islamic Courts group,".
On January 14, 2007, an AU delegation arrived in Mogadishu to discuss the deployment of international peacekeepers. Mohamed Foum, the AU special representative for Somalia, said nine delegates had gone to speak to Somali leaders. However, challenges remained, and there was no agreement yet to send peacekeepers to the country.
Yemeni Mediation
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
met separately with both TFG and ICU representatives respectively on December 5 and December 6 to see if rapprochement might be possible between the parties. However, for now, both parties said a dialogue was impossible because of increased tensions and fighting.
Yemen has seen a tremendous rise in the number of Somali refugees—numbers have doubled this year to over 150,000. Over 650 refugees were eaten by sharks trying to cross the Red Sea.
EU Efforts
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
Louis Michel
Louis Michel
Louis H. O. Ch. Michel is a Belgian politician. He served in the government of Belgium as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2004 and was European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid from 2004 to 2009. Since 2009, he has been a Member of the European Parliament...
conducted shuttle diplomacy
Shuttle diplomacy
In diplomacy and international relations, shuttle diplomacy is the action of an outside party in serving as an intermediary between principals in a dispute, without direct principal-to-principal contact...
between the TFG seat in Baidoa and the ICU government seat in Mogadishu. The warring parties agreed to talk, but the conflict continued to rage on, worrying observers whether the prospects of talks are moot for now.
On December 25, the EU Presidency, held by Finland, issued a plea to end the fighting in Somalia. EU Commissioner Louis Michel likewise called for the TFG and ICU to resume talks in Khartoum.
On January 3, 2007, EU leaders met and agreed it was unlikely for them to send any peacekeepers to Somalia, and were also unclear about what financial assistance they might give a peacekeeping mission, but affirmed their interest to continue humanitarian support to the nation.
Arab League (AL)
On December 23, 2006 Samir Hosni, Director of African Affairs for the Arab LeagueArab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
called for a halt to the violence. The Arab League seeks to co-sponsor peace talks with the African Union.
In Egypt, Somalia was discussed, as well as conflicts in Lebanon and Chad, at a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit (also "Abu-al-Ghayt") and Sudanese Arab League envoy to Lebanon Mustafa Osman Ismail
Mustafa Osman Ismail
Mustafa Osman Ismail is a former Sudanese politcian. Ismail was the foreign minister of Sudan from 18 February 1998 to 18 September 2005....
.
On December 24, 2006 in Cairo, Arab League Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Ahmed bin Hilli made an appeal for a cessation of fighting in an interview with al-Arabiya television of Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.
On December 26, an Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
spokesman said his organization would like all hostilities to stop and warring parties to respect the binding agreements they signed before world community. He said Somalia doesn’t need outside intervention and Ethiopia must leave Somalia.
United States
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
, Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
met with Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa
Sam Kutesa
Sam Kahamba Kutesa is a Ugandan lawyer and politician. He is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Ugandan Cabinet, a position he has held since 13 January 2005. He is also the elected Member of Parliament for "Mawogola County", Sembabule District...
to urge Uganda to take a leading role in establishing peacekeeping operations in Somalia through IGAD.
Expressions
While many individuals or groups are not empowered or chartered to officially taken direct intercession or binding action, they have expressed their desires and hopes for the future of a peaceful Somalia.| Organization | Representative | Flag/Emblem/Symbol |
| United Nations United Nations The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace... |
Outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he... |
|
| Organisation of the Islamic Conference Organisation of the Islamic Conference The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57... (OIC) |
Secretary General Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations... |
 |
| US Conference on Catholic Bishops | Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, Chairman | |
| Somali Diaspora Network |
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsThe United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , is a United Nations body formed in December 1991 by General Assembly Resolution 46/182...
(OCHAOchaOcha is a genus of moth in the family Lasiocampidae....
)
"Engaging in conflict at a time when a significant segment of the population is already struggling for survival is unacceptable," Mr Laroche said. "More than ever, stability is now essential for the success of the ongoing humanitarian operation and all efforts should be entirely focused on alleviating the suffering of Somalis."
"The UN and its partners have just launched a humanitarian appeal to donors to enable the mobilization of a full humanitarian response. This, however, will not go far if we cannot then access populations in need and deliver assistance on the ground due to armed conflict."
OCHA had deployed the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC), but recently had to withdraw it due to security concerns regarding the heavy fighting.
High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR)
The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR)'s Deputy High Commissioner, Wendy ChamberlinWendy Chamberlin
Wendy Chamberlin is a veteran diplomat who has served in the United States Department of State and USAID, worked for the UN High Commissioner on Refugees , and now serves as President of the Middle East Institute.- US Department of State :...
, has spent a great deal of time focusing efforts on the Horn of Africa, which has been struck this year by terrible drought, followed by torrential floods.
On December 26, 2006, UN High Commissioner on Refugees António Guterres
António Guterres
António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, GCC is a Portuguese politician, a former prime minister and President of the Socialist International. Currently he is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.-Early life:...
made an appeal to end the crisis in the region and warned of large-scale displacements if fighting continued.
UNICEF
UNICEF is providing care to 250,000 Somalis out of the 330,000 affected in the Shabelle and Juba river valley areas. Among other programs, UNICEF is operating the Bay Project 1 (BP1) camp in BaidoaBaidoa
Baidoa is a city in south-central Somalia, situated by road northwest of the capital Mogadishu. It is the capital of the Bay region, which is traditionally inhabited by the Digil and Mirifle clans....
, close to the front of the fighting, for Internally Displaced Person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s (IDPs) who lived there even before the recent phase of the civil war.
World Food ProgrammeWorld Food ProgrammeThe World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
(WFP)
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
(WFP) is providing humanitarian relief to hundreds of thousands of persons in Somalia and over a million throughout the Horn of Africa during 2006. As of December 19, 2006, it was providing food to 278,000 of 455,000 affected Somalis.
On December 24, 2006, a WFP-chartered Antonov-12 dropped 14 tons of food to Afmadow
Afmadow
Afmadow is a city in southern Somalia, located in the middle of the Juba region and bordered by Kenya, Badhadhe, Kismayo, Jamame, Jilib, Hagar, Bardhere and Elwaq in Somalia, 620 km south of the capital Mogadishu. It is home to a wide variety of wild animals, including the Big Five game. The...
, cut off by recent flooding. Fifty trucks trying to reach Afmadow have been stuck in the mud for seven weeks.
On December 27, WFP airdrop efforts were suspended and personnel relocated from Kismayo to Nairobi, Kenya, after the government put restrictions on flights. Ground operations continued.
On January 2, WFP operations, including UN Common Air Services (UNCAS) flights, were resumed. Offices were reopened in Bu'aale
Bu'aale
Bu'ale is a town in the Jubbada Dhexe region of Somalia. It is the capital of the Bu'aale District, situated in the southern Jubba River valley.-References:*...
and Wajid, and deliveries of food resumed to Afmadow
Afmadow
Afmadow is a city in southern Somalia, located in the middle of the Juba region and bordered by Kenya, Badhadhe, Kismayo, Jamame, Jilib, Hagar, Bardhere and Elwaq in Somalia, 620 km south of the capital Mogadishu. It is home to a wide variety of wild animals, including the Big Five game. The...
province. A ship docked in Mogadishu on December 26 with 4,500 tons of food, and was finally able to offload its cargo while the port underwent the change of hands from the ICU to a local sub-clan, and finally to the TFG.
International Committee of the Red CrossInternational Committee of the Red CrossThe International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
(ICRC)
The International Committee of the Red CrossInternational Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
(ICRC
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
) has been operating continuously in Somalia since 1977, when famine and the Ogaden War
Ogaden War
The Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In a notable illustration of the nature of Cold War alliances, the Soviet Union switched from supplying aid to Somalia to supporting Ethiopia, which had previously been...
caused humanitarian crises. In the case of 2006, their mission has been similarly set by alternating periods of severe drought and flooding, and calamities caused by man-made war.
On December 26, 2006 Antonella Notari, spokeswoman for the ICRC, declared over 800 war wounded had been taken in at Somali hospitals since the beginning of Ethiopian air strikes. She said that thousands were leaving the war zone and that it was too early to tell whether this was a temporary displacement.
On December 31, 2006, a plane chartered by the ICRC on its way to Somalia with a load of fuel drums and aid supplies, crashed not long after taking off in Nairobi, Kenya. The crew of three survived.
Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) / Ururka Bisha Cas
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...
(IFRC).
The local office in Baidoa is at the literal front lines of the civil war.
Ahmed Gure of the SRCS was also on hand to witness the Ethiopian air strikes against Beledweyne
Battle of Beledweyne
Battle of Beledweyne may refer to:*Battle of Beledweyne *Battle of Beledweyne *Battle of Beledweyne...
on December 24, 2006:
An eyewitness told IRIN that aircraft, allegedly Ethiopian, had struck areas near the town of Beletweyne in Southern Somalia this morning. "Two jet airplanes bombarded the town this morning. They came back five times," said Ahmed Gure of the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in Beletweyne. He said the attack took about an hour. Gure said many of the town's population were only just starting to return from temporary camps after they were displaced by recent flooding, and "can ill-afford to move again, but I am afraid if the situation deteriorates they will move again."
Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders Efforts
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans FrontièresMédecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
(MSF) organized flood relief earlier in 2006, in an effort known as the Galgaduud Project. It focused on nutrition, non-food related deliveries, dealt with war-related suffering, as well as medical care.
On December 23, MSF Director of Operations Bruno Jochum expressed concern if military aircraft—especially US military aircraft—might be used to drop humanitarian aid because it risks misperceptions of connection between aid workers and the military, which might make it unsafe to continue working in Somalia.
On February 16, 2007, a gunman attacked two MSF Spain staff in Baardheere. MSF doctors and staff are in the town working to reopen the largest hospital, which had been closed for the past decade. The workers were uninjured. Local tribal leaders pledged their support for the work of MSF in the region.
CARECARE (relief)CARE is a broad-spectrum secular relief, humanitarian, and development non-governmental organization fighting global poverty. It is non-political, non-sectarian and operates annually in more than 70 countries across the globe.One of the organization’s primary focuses in its fight to eradicate...
- Paul DanielsPaul DanielsPaul Daniels, born Newton Edward Daniels on 6 April 1938, is a British magician and television performer. He achieved international fame through his television series The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran on the BBC from 1979 to 1994.-Early life:...
- Assistant Country Director for CARE-Somalia
CARE
CARE (relief)
CARE is a broad-spectrum secular relief, humanitarian, and development non-governmental organization fighting global poverty. It is non-political, non-sectarian and operates annually in more than 70 countries across the globe.One of the organization’s primary focuses in its fight to eradicate...
estimates 1.8 million people were pushed to the brink of starvation in the region due to drought, flood and civil war combined, while it could only provide food to 600,000 persons. Over 1 million lost their homes due to flooding.
Save the Children-UKSave the ChildrenSave the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
Has protection officers looking after child welfare at the Dadaab refugee camps and assessing safety of border crossings into Kenya.Joined with other humanitarian NGOs to appeal to the warring factions to end the conflict.
World VisionWorld VisionWorld Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
- World Vision-Somalia - Contact Details (Reuters Alertnet)
- Graham Davison - Operations Director, World Vision-Somalia
Mercy-USA
Norwegian Church Aid
On December 31, 2006, spokeswoman Kari Øyen of Norwegian Church AidNorwegian Church Aid
Norwegian Church Aid , "Kirkens Nødhjelp" in Norwegian, is an independent humanitarian and ecumenical organisation with headquarters in Oslo, Norway. The organisation also has offices in 65 countries worldwide and receives funding from the Norwegian Protestant church, their institutions and...
(NCA), a member of ACT, reported that 10,000 people had been displaced to Garbaharrey by recent fighting. NCA was dispensing blankets and relief supplies.
External sources
- Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) / Ururka Bisha Cas
- The ICRC in Somalia
- Somalia Refugees in Yemen including Somalia Refugees Development Association (SOMDRA)
- IRIN humanitarian news and analysis - Somalia