Humanitarian coordination mechanisms in Somalia

The Global Humanitarian Reform

Over the past years, the international response to humanitarian emergencies demonstrated that the system did not always meet the basic needs of affected populations in a timely and predictable manner. With varying responses from crisis to crisis, existing capacity levels are often insufficient to adequately meet key emergency needs in major crises. In order to better understand and correct such deficiencies, the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), in 2005, commissioned an independent Humanitarian Response Review (HRR) of the global humanitarian system. The HRR identified a three-pronged reform programme to improve the predictability, timeliness, and effectiveness of humanitarian response:

1) Strengthening humanitarian response capacity: This sees the adoption of a cluster approach which encourages the effective use of expertise and technical know-how of mandated organizations in the particular sectors to fill identified gaps in humanitarian response, to ensure accountability with strengthened leadership and clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and to bolster coordination and synergy of efforts.

2) Strengthening the Humanitarian Coordinator System: This sees the establishment of an Inter Agency Standing Committee mechanism at the field level, engaging the broader humanitarian community including NGOs making proactive use of the Common Humanitarian Action Plan as a strategic planning instrument.

3) Ensuring predictable funding: Strengthen the existing Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF) to allow for an immediate response to an emergency. Approved by the UN General Assembly on 15 December 2005 and launched on 9 March 2006, the modernized CERF grant facility targets to make US$ 500 million available from additional voluntary contributions. OCHA will administer the CERF and disburse loans and grants within 3-4 days. Somalia has already benefited from the CERF with a grant of around US$ 3 million.

The Somali Context in early 2006

By the turn of 2005, southern Somalia was experiencing the consequences of the worst drought in over ten years. Around 1.7 million people country-wide are in need of critical assistance until mid 2006, not including up to 400,000 IDPs already identified by the aid community at high risk and vulnerability. The worse hit regions are Gedo, Middle and Lower Juba, and areas of Bay and Bakool, with northern Gedo and riverine areas in the Juba regions identified at moderate risk of a famine. Immediate causes of the crisis are a severe drought combined with localised conflicts. Crop production for this year is reported to be 50% of the post war average -- the lowest cereal production in over ten years. Cattle deaths in the worst affected areas could reach 80% by April. Depletion of water and pasture is resulting in significant movements of people toward riverine areas or urban centers. Families are splitting in search of resources, leaving women and children to fend for themselves. Resource-based conflict has been reported in many locations and will likely increase as the situation aggravates during the dry spell.

Climate predictions issued in March 2006 suggest a significant possibility of poor rains for the upcoming Gu (short) rain season lasting from mid April to June. In the event that this worse case scenario materializes, the number of vulnerable populations will increase to 2.2 million between July and December 2006. While seemingly not such a large increase, it does include a major shift in severity, with a nearly 40% increase in the number of people facing Humanitarian Emergency or Famine conditions.

Although the drought has affected a number of countries in the region, the situation in Somalia is of particular concern as the country has endured fifteen years of armed conflict and generalized violence, which has resulted in widespread human rights abuses, the destruction of public infrastructure, and the disintegration of basic health and social services. Within this ongoing complex emergency, the failed 2005 Deyr (short) rain season debilitated livelihoods and aggravated already difficult living conditions in southern Somalia.

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