Main Developments

On Friday 28 March residents in Mogadishu looted trucks carrying food aid to displaced people. They targeted World Food Programme (WFP) contracted trucks and also blocked the main road before local police restored order. A relatively small amount of sorghum and vegetable oil had been stolen and almost all the food was subsequently recovered. The incident was prompted following Commissioner of Kaaran district's remark, who had publicly stated that people should go out and take food by force from passing UN trucks. Given the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country, it is of major concern that senior government officials are encouraging and fueling such incidents.

On 26 March, nearly 40 international and local NGOs working in Somalia issued a joint statement highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country. The same organizations issued a similar statement back in October 2007 and are now warning that since then the crisis engulfing Somalia has deteriorated dramatically while access to people in need continues to decrease. The statement says:

'As the crisis worsens, Somali and international aid agencies are unable to respond adequately to the needs. Attacks on, and killing of, aid workers, the looting of relief supplies, and lack of respect for international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict have left two million Somalis in need of basic humanitarian assistance'.

To help ensure food for the most vulnerable, including drought affected populations, WFP is urgently appealing for $10 million, particularly in cash, which is needed to fill funding gap between now and July. Unless it receives new contributions, the agency will start running out of pulses in April, cereals and vegetable oil in May and corn-soya blend in June.

Humanitarian response to drought-affected areas is ongoing. In Ceel Waaq, Gedo region, CARE International distributed 633 metric tons of food aid to 32,508 beneficiaries.

WHO reported that polio transmission has been stopped in Somalia, and the country is now officially polio-free. It is exactly a year ago (March 2007) that eight cases were identified.

Access & Security

During the past week, escalating clashes between Ethiopian/Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces and antigovernment elements were reported in many parts of South Central Somalia. In Mogadishu the worst fighting took place during the weekend in Bakara market where over 40 civilians were treated for injuries and an unconfirmed number, including children and women, were killed. Serious clashes were also reported in Jowhar (Middle Shabella) and Bulaburde (Hiraan). Field reports indicate that the overall security situation in these regions is deteriorating due to growing insurgent activities.

A doctor from the SOS hospital in Mogadishu was shot and killed on 23 March. The hospital was recently reopened following three month's of closure due to insecurity.

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 4,000 people from Mogadishu were displaced during the past 10 days bringing the total to 68,000 since 1 January 2008.

Other Developments

The UN Human Rights Council approved Dr. Shamsul Bari, a Bangladeshi lawyer with a long career at UNHCR and a recognized expert in protection of civilians, as the new Independent Expert on the Human Rights situation in Somalia appointed by the UN Secretary-General. He will replace Dr. Ghanim Alnajjar.

On 27 March more than 75 people died (most of them Somalis), while trying to cross from Somalia to Yemen. According to media reports, the captain of the vessel, carrying more than 250 migrants, forced them to jump from the ship and swim ashore.

Further Information in Somali or English, contact:

Muna Mohamed on + 254 733 643 737 - mohamed26@un.org