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Following is the full text of a statement released by Swedish Foreign Ministry regarding the war in Mogadishu.

15 May 2006

Statement by Jan Eliasson on the situation in Mogadishu

I am greatly concerned about the fighting in Mogadishu in Somalia during the past week. These unacceptable acts of violence primarily affect the already suffering civilian population and have claimed the lives of a large number of people, including many children. We have today received reports of a ceasefire and I call therefore on all the groups involved in the fighting to respect the ceasefire and join the peace process. Sweden’s commitment to support the fragile peace and reconciliation process in Somalia will continue. We support the institutions that have been set up and can lead the country from chaos and conflict to peace and stability. I welcome the initiatives now being taken to encourage the groups involved in the fighting to join the political process for peace, reconciliation and reconstruction. 

Mr. Jan Eliasson,

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Royal Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

U.S. Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota was quoted as saying: 

I believe the United States has a vital security interest in helping Somalia succeed. (…) The lack of mature political institutions, protracted state of instability, porous borders and geographic location make it a potential location for international terrorists seeking a transit or launching point to conduct operations. As we saw in Afghanistan, failed states are a recipe for instability and terrorist activity. (…) Through interaction with my Somali constituents I have worked to be the voice of the Somali community in Washington, D.C. (…) I have made it a priority of mine to convey their concerns and ideas to various government officials and I will continue to facilitate dialogue among the different Somali political groups. The United States has an obligation to help put a stop to this chaos and I believe we can play a valuable role in establishing a stable, democratic government for the people of Somalia. 

Click here to view Senator Coleman’s statement. You may also here to click here to view the full text of the U.S. Senate resolution co-sponsored by Senator Norm Colman (R-MN), Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Senator Mark Dayton (D-MN). 

Matt Damon; American Actor and political activist went to Africa. Following are few extracts from his remarks after the trip.   

Each day, I saw the devastating impact of AIDS and extreme poverty, but I also saw the incredible work being done to save lives and give people the tools to provide for themselves. I visited a facility that reduced, by half, the chances of a mother transmitting HIV to their child. I met a 24 year old woman who told me that there was a good chance the anti-retrovirals she was taking would save the her baby’s life. The next day, I met a widow who had become self-sufficient thanks to a micro-finance loan. With her new financial freedom, she was not only able to take care of her children, but also began caring for local orphans. The biggest lesson I took home from the trip was that folks in these countries can turn things around if given the basic resources that we take for granted here every day. That’s why I was shocked to learn from the ONE campaign that within the next 2 weeks the U.S. Senate is poised to slash billions of dollars from President Bush’s plan to fight AIDS and poverty.This is an outrage - and it can be stopped. Please join me in speaking out right now!

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has launched a two-month project to improve water availability and accessibility for thousands of drought-affected people in the Tieglow district and Hudur town of Bakol Region, South Somalia.  The ADRA Bakol Water Drought Response (BWDR) project impacts areas severely hit by drought and where ADRA has previously implemented water projects. Due to changes in population, water use in overcrowded villages has increased dramatically.

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Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed; the President of the Somali Transitional Federal Government is currently on an official visit to Sweden and is hosted by the Royal Ministry for International Development Cooperation in Stockholm.   

I welcome President Yusuf’s visit to Sweden and the opportunity for bilateral discussions on the great challenges that Somalia faces. Ever since the peace talks started, Sweden has played a prominent role in the international dialogue with the Somali parties. International support is crucial in the difficulties that the transitional leadership in Somalia has to wrestle with, if the progress that has been achieved is to last. 

Sweden has provided active political and economic support to the peace process since 2003. Sweden expects to give humanitarian support and support for peace and reconciliation totalling SEK 160 million in 2006. If the peace process makes progress, there is a readiness for more extensive support, partly within the framework of the donor conference that is planned with Sweden and Italy as co-hosts. 

Ms. Annika Söder, Secretary of State for International Development Cooperation, Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden

President Kibaki of Kenya was quoted as saying:   

The transitional federal government of Somalia continues to require sustainable international assistance and support to enable it to carry out its mandate of post conflict reconstruction…..   

Mr. Kibaki went on by saying:. 

In the search for durable peace in the region, IGAD member states have urged the United Nations to lift the arms embargo on Somalia. Likewise, we have emphasized the importance of implementation of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs. 

Well, what Mr. Kibati failed to say is the fact that it was IGADs officials who ignorantly thought that the UN Arms Embargo on Somalia prohibits the deployment of peace-keeping forces from the Arab or African states into Somalia. Indeed, one could reasonably argue that the UN Security Council resolution (733) regarding the Arms Embargo justifies the deployment of the peace-keeping forces into Somalia! Indeed, the resolution states that it “Calls upon all States and international organizations to contribute to the efforts of humanitarian assistance to the population in Somalia”. It goes without saying that the intention of the peace-keepers is to “contribute to the efforts of humanitarian assistance to the population in Somalia”. In short, President Kibaki is either being mislead by his legal advisers or he is just walking in the dark. Either way, I do not believe the President knows what he is talking!

Click here for the full dispatch by the Chinese News Agency; Xinhuanet.

According to Dansk Børsen:

During the last 10 years the number of immigrants engaged in active employment has gone up considerably. At the beginning of 2005 46 per cent of immigrants aged 16-66 years were working, compared to 34,5 per cent in 1997. Nearly 75 per cent of the Danish population are employed. The rising number of immigrants on the labour market is a result of more immigrants succeeding in finding a job and a growing number of immigrants and their descendants in the years 1997-2005. The group of non-ethnic Danes consist of more than 150 nationalities. Male immigrants from Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka have an employment frequency of over 60 per cent. On the other hand, less than 20 per cent of the women from Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and Afghanistan are employed.

Click here to view the full article on Dansk Børsen. 

Click here to view a map showing locations of international NGO’s operating in Somalia. 

Source: OCHA Somalia 

Click here to view map showing Somalia general population movement, specially inter-regional/district movements for December 31st, 06 through March 15th, 2006).

Source: OCHA Somalia 

According to OCHA report released earlier this week:   

In the last two weeks UNICEF and WHO reviewed their plans to implement key drought response activities including improving stocks of emergency drugs and supplies, strengthening surveillance and early warning, expanding of health care through mobile clinics, and reinforcing ongoing immunization activities. In support of the drought response, WHO is planning on implementing an intensive course on Communicable Disease Control and Emergency Response in Merka, Lower Shabelle and aimed at MOH, UN, Health coordinators, NGOs and Health Facility representatives and also the hiring of a nutritionist for a 2 month period to carry out specific drought related activities. As malaria is endemic in the south, a recent shipment of 60,000 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) will be distributed to vulnerable groups in drought stricken areas.   

Source: OCHA via Reliefweb 

According to OCHA report release this week:

The Gu planting season is under preparation. Major actors include ICRC and FAO covering respectively 23,000 and 24,600 households. With resources available, it is estimated that close to 50% of the estimated needy families will receive planting material (sorghum and cowpea seeds). FAO is procuring some 492 Mt of sorghum and cowpea from Wajid (21 Mt), Baidoa (255 Mt), Belet Weyne (71 Mt), Afmadow (11,6 Mt), Garbaharey (18,4 Mt), Bardheere (107 Mt) and Dolow (8 Mt). Distribution was concluded in Wajid (FAO/ACF). Seeds are being bagged in Belet Weyne for distribution in Belet Weyne (FAO/DRC) and Balcad (FAO/Agrosphere), while seed testing is on-going at both Nairobi and field level, for the samples received from the other locations. Livestock and pastoralist activities continue to focus on de-stocking, animal health and water trucking.   

Source: OCHA via Reliefweb

According to OCHA reports:

5,000 Mt of food is currently being distributed in Baidoa and Dinsor districts while WFP is currently planning their second round of drought relief food distribution. Since late February a total of 11,800 Mt of food have been distributed to 730,000 beneficiaries in south Somalia and a total of 1,700 Mt of food has been distributed in the north. WFP is proposing to do a rapid assessment in the north east - which has still received no rain - and where some districts are reportedly suffering from chronic drought conditions. CARE has recently completed food distributions in Gedo and has begun water trucking and borehole rehabilitation in affected areas of El Waq. Similar activities are in the pipeline for Dolow and Belet Hawa; the next food distribution in Gedo is scheduled to take place at the end of April.  ICRC interventions continue in Gedo, Lower Juba, Bakol, Lower Shabelle, Mudug and Galgadud involving food distributions (and the rehabilitation of strategic water-points, veterinary interventions and seed distributions).

This is too little too late and it will not do much to help ease the hunger and starvation that is ravaging the Somali people in Somalia, in Kenya and the Somali part of Ethiopia! 

Source: OCHA via Reliefweb  

Ethan Zuckerman of the The Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard’s Law School writes:

A few months ago, it looked as if Somalia might be on the verge of recovery. Somalia’s parliament in exile finally met in Somalia, rather than in Kenya. The BBC was sufficiently optimistic that they ran a series of stories titled: Somalia, Emerging from Ruins? Unfortunately, recent news from Somalia has been uniformly bad. (An important distinction - “Somalia” exists in name only. Somaliland and Puntland have both declared their independence and formed somewhat functional governments. Though impoverished, both regions are in better shape than the remainder of the nation, which is what I refer to when I write “Somalia”.) In late March, fierce fighting broke out between two coalitions of warlords.

Indeed, a very interesting and informative article! Click here to check it out! 

For those of you who do not know Mr. Zuckerman, he is one of the clever brains behind the “Global Voices” and Blog Africa! 

UK’s Secretary of International Development; Rt. Hon. Hilary Benn, was quoted as saying:  

The majority of DFID funding is provided to three multilateral institutions, the UN system, the World Bank, and through the UK’s contribution to the EC, which includes the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO). Support to the UN includes to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for its Rule of Law Programme, the World Food Programme, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for drought related activities, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) programme, UN-HABITAT for urban development work and to the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for education work. With the World Bank, DFID is for example, supporting the joint needs assessment work they are co-leading with the UNDP to prepare a five-year reconstruction and development programme and a Community Development Programme. We also provide core funding to the African Development Bank that is providing support to the drought in the Horn of Africa.

Source: Proceedings of the British House of Commons

Barbara Stocking, Oxfam’s director was quoted as saying:

This crisis might be getting less attention than the tsunami did, but the number of people needing help is even greater. …The severity of this crisis means assistance is needed on a huge scale. ..This appeal isn’t designed to be just a sticking plaster…We want to help people across the region to recover and be in a better position when the next crisis hits. With the support of the public, we can work with people to build their futures as well as helping them through the terrible situation they face today.

Click here to view a long article on this on the Independent Newspaper in London. 

Lindsey Hilsum of Channel4 News writes:   

Channel 4 News reports on the worsening situation in Somalia where aid is difficult to get through. It’s a land where guns are the law: for 15 years - the world’s only state without a functioning government. It’s almost impossible for aid agencies to operate in Somalia - the UN has even banned delivering supplies by sea because of the risk of piracy. Just this week - three aid workers were shot dead trying to deliver aid in Somalia’s drought-stricken south. Two years of severe drought have left eight million people in need of emergency food aid across the Horn of Africa. Two million of the most needy are in Southern Somalia. The problems encountered in Mererey and Afmadow, show the difficulties of aid relief, in a country with no government.  

Click here to watch the full report on Channel4 News.

The Reuters news agency reports:

A Somali man working with a German-based aid group was shot dead in a gun battle involving bandits in the south of the lawless east African country earlier this week, the organisation said on Wednesday. The man and seven others were caught in crossfire between highway bandits and another vehicle on the road from the capital Mogadishu to the southern city of Kismayu, said Stefan Libisch. The incident occurred on Monday at around 5.30 p.m. local time, said Libisch, spokesman for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in Stuttgart. Abdulkadir Esse Far’Ade, who was working on a project to clear debris washed up by the Asian tsunami, died at the scene a few minutes after being struck by a stray bullet. “Of course we deeply regret this incident,” Libisch said. “We always try to make sure security is a top priority.” Two other people died in Somalia on Monday when fighting broke out among militia after a United Nations aid convoy was held up at checkpoints. 

Click here to view the full dispatch on the Reuters website (South African Bureau) 

According to ITV News in London:   

Chancellor Gordon Brown has promised that £8.5 billion will be spent to help educate the world’s poorest children over the next ten years. He pledged the cash during a visit to a primary school in Mozambique with International Development Secretary Hilary Benn. The money will go towards a global target of $100 billion or £55.6bn to get 100 million children into schools. Mr Brown and Mr Benn are to join forces with South African former president Nelson Mandela to challenge world leaders to honor the pledge. Mr Brown said: “In 2005, Make Poverty History forced governments to make promises on aid. “Now, in 2006 it is time for us to keep our promises. None is more important than the Millennium Development Goal that by 2015 every one of the world’s children is able to go to school.” Mr Benn added: “Education is a basic human right, and to get every child into school we need more investment. “Working with developing countries, through increased commitment from the UK, will help train more teachers, build more classrooms and give more children the best start in life.”   

I have always been a“Brownite” at heart!

Click here to view the full article on ITV. 

According to USAID:   

The United States funded development programs in Somalia are aimed at increasing the number of self sustainable civil society organizations that contribute to good governance and peace building with cooperative, productive linkages with regional and local authorities. USAID supports community-based reconciliation efforts, assisting local community-based grassroots institutions and organizations to formulate civil society-oriented democracy and effective governance across Somalia. USAID also supports basic education with the aim of increasing girls’ enrollment rates and improving teacher education. Assistance includes building the capacity of teacher training institutes, training for primary teachers, rehabilitating classrooms, providing water and sanitation facilities at schools and mobilizing communities to promote girls’ education. USAID uses Development Assistance (DA), Economic Support Funds (ESF), International Disaster and Famine Account (IDFA), and food assistance to implement an Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP).   

Click here to learn more on United States “Economic Development” assistance to Somalia. You may also like to click here to view “2006 Congressional Budget Justification for Somalia”.  Here is also USAID’s Somalia page.

The British Government has announced that:  

Drought-hit Somalia is set to receive a further £5 million in humanitarian assistance from the UK, International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn, announced today. The new funding brings the UK’s total response to the drought in Somalia to £12 million since December 2005. Of the £5 million announced today, £3 million will support the World Food Programme to buy and distribute food rations, and £2 million will help the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide water and emergency healthcare.   

Following is the financial assistance UK have given to Somalia as a humanitarian assistance thus far. 

The UK has now provided £40.9 million in humanitarian aid for those affected by drought in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Eritrea), and is the second largest bilateral donor in response to the drought after the US –both in Somalia and the region.

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Hilary Benn; The British Secretary for International Development (DFID) was quoted as saying:

The Horn of Africa is suffering its most terrible drought for more than a decade. Somalia is one of the worst-affected countries, with the UN estimating that over two million people are in need of urgent assistance.  That’s why I am increasing the UK’s contribution to the relief effort, which will help to provide food, water and emergency healthcare to the people who desperately need it.

Mr. Benn went on by saying:

Getting aid to the worst-hit areas is a challenge, especially given the security problems in Somalia. But we are supporting tried and trusted partners like the UN and the Red Cross, who are already providing relief to the most vulnerable. It is clear that more needs to be done, and I urge other donors to step forward.

Click here to view the full dispatch on the Reliefweb. You may also like to click here to view DFID’s Somalia page.

The United Nations’ Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) for Somalia issued its Monthly nutrition update  and says:

The preliminary findings of the nutrition assessment in Gedo Region (excluding Bardera Town) in March 2006 indicate a critical nutrition situation and ‘alert’ crude and under five mortality rates. Early and comprehensive interventions and strong coping strategies are likely to be preventing a greater deterioration although separate surveillance activities in targeted areas shows the levels of malnutrition have already deteriorated very dramatically. Detailed analysis of the findings is currently on-going. The findings of the Qansadheere nutrition assessment conducted in January 2006 also indicate a critical nutrition situation.

A detailed update on the current food security situation is available in FSAU’s other monthly publication ‘Food Security and Nutrition Brief’, March 2006.  Detailed data from targeted sentinel sites are also available at FSAU.

Click here to view the full report on Reliefweb.