UN highlights the continuing human tragedy of Somalia's internally displaced

Nairobi, 30 May 2006 - A week-long mission to Somalia led by Dennis McNamara, UN Special Adviser on Displacement and accompanied by international donors and media arrived back in Nairobi on Friday after visiting settlements for the internally displaced and authorities in Bossaso, Hargeisa, Baidoa (where the mission also met with the TFG) and Merka - only 90 km from wartorn Mogadishu.
Mr McNamara said 'the state of the settlements were amongst the worst he had seen in Africa and in other circumstances would prompt emergency interventions. However, since the Somali internally displaced have been in settlements for up to fifteen years everyone had become immune to the sub-standard living conditions.' Since his last visit to Somalia in 2004, Mr McNamara said the situation of the internally displaced had not visibly improved.

While Mr McNamara acknowledged 'the need for the UN to be more actively involved with the internally displaced, the Somali authorities had the first responsibility. In some areas the authorities were resisting agencies providing sanitation in camps' he said.

Mr McNamara also appealed to the international community to do everything in its power to put an end to the unfolding tragedy of people trafficking from the northeast Somali port town of Bossaso to Yemen, an illegal gateway to jobs in the Middle East and Europe.

Mr McNamara said 'the Puntland authorities should more vigorously prosecute the traffickers and organizers of this highly profitable trade, which is also extremely dangerous. The authorities should also control the local boats that ferry the migrants who are often lured to their deaths.'

Mr McNamara also met with the President of the TFG, Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and told him 'the United Nations would do everything in its power to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people and would continue to seek the 326 million dollars estimated to cover the urgent humanitarian needs in Somalia for 2006.'

However, Mr McNamara stressed that 'the TFG had a role to play too, ensuring safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians at all times, including those in Mogadishu.' Currently Mogadishu is the only capital in the world where the UN does not have access for international humanitarian staff, due to insecurity and despite an estimated 250,000 internally displaced living in the city.

For more information please contact

Amanda Di Lorenzo, OCHA Somalia
Tel (+254) 020 375 4150-5
E-mail dilorenzoa@un.org

Kalsons Towers, 7th Floor, Crescent street, off parklands road P.O. Box 28832, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel No: (254-20) 3754150-5; Fax No: (254-20) 3754156