| Hi jay: I wanted to keep you on top of what we're doing in Somalia. Below is an update I just sent to our Board of Directors.
ARC Response to the Somalia Famine: Update (10 August 2011)
Overview: The situation in Somalia—and in the Horn of Africa—is dire. As of today, famine has been declared in five regions (Bakool, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, the Afgoye corridor IDP (internally displaced persons) settlement, and the Mogadishu IDP community). Nearly half the country is on the brink of famine with even Puntland and Somaliland in the north under extreme strain of severe drought. Massive and urgent assistance is needed in just about every sector.
ARC has been re-launching its programmatic presence in Somalia. We had previously planned to revisit areas in Puntland including Gaalkacyo. Given the severity of the drought in South-Central Somalia, we redirected our attention to Mogadishu. ARC’s Somalia Program Director arrived on 12 July and was joined by our Director of Emergencies on 17 July. They visited several sites, including IDP settlements in Mogadishu and Dhobley, and met with partner agencies to determine how best to proceed. Watch video from one of those visits.
Current Actions: In terms of program activities, we are working closely with ARAHA (American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa) to quickly respond to the needs of several hundred families in Mogadishu with food distributions, NFIs (non-food items) and relocation to camps with better conditions. With further funding, these activities will be expanded. We're also working to provide clean water and sanitation for 50,000 people. We're installing water points where people can get clean, safe water to drink and for cooking. We're also installing toilets and latrines to ensure hygienic living conditions.
We're initiating programs and paving the way for an extended response. ARC staff members, volunteers and new hires have already arrived or will be sent within a week to surge our capacity. Several Somali-American health professionals are expected to volunteer and travel to Mogadishu in the coming weeks.
Security: The security situation is poor in Mogadishu and fair along the Kenyan-Somali border. For a town in Somalia, Dhobley is relatively secure.
Program Development: Good opportunities exist for institutional support. Proposals are being worked on for submission to several large funders.
Registration and Legal Matters: ARC is now registered in Somalia. The State Department, Treasury and USAID announced last week a significant relaxation of OFAC requirements for operating in Somalia, which make it easier to implement programs.
Future Plans: Given the gravity of the situation, we are rapidly putting the elements in place to have a robust and effective program. The primary sectors we are seeking to fund and implement are water and sanitation, nutrition, relief commodities, camp management, health, protection and livelihoods. While the current focus is on Mogadishu and southern Somalia, once the emergency situation stabilizes, we will once again pursue our original plans for programs in Puntland.
Sincerely, -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth
President, American Refugee Committee www.ARCrelief.org
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