World Vision worries as UN Security Council meets on Somalia

March 26, 2008

As the situation for millions of Somalis continues to deteriorate, World Vision and other aid agencies are warning of an ever-growing humanitarian catastrophe. Together they released the following statement:

On October 30, 2007, 39 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) warned of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Somalia and an impending humanitarian catastrophe. Since then, the crisis engulfing Somalia has deteriorated dramatically, while access to people in need continues to decrease; 360,000 people have been newly displaced and an additional half a million people are reliant on humanitarian assistance.

There are now more than one million internally displaced people in Somalia. Intense conflict in Mogadishu continues to force an average of 20,000 people from their homes each month.

This, combined with record high food prices, hyperinflation and drought in large parts of the country, is leaving communities struggling to survive. Extreme water and food shortages are expected to worsen across the country if the seasonal rains (April-June) fail, as experts are predicting.

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

For too long, the needs of ordinary Somalis have been forgotten. The undersigned agencies are asking 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. 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.