18 December 2008
Hassan lived in Mogadishu with his wife and ran a small business. When extreme violence broke out in the capital in late 2006, he escaped to the Middle Shabelle region with his children.
Conflict in Somalia
Outline
“Nearly half of Somalia’s population, 3.2 million people, is now in need of humanitarian assistance.”
Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991 when factions overthrew President Said Barre then fought for political and military supremacy. Since then Somalia has seen 17 years of periodic conflict between rival factions, which has led to massive displacements of people and severe disruptions to the economy.
The conflict, combined with cycles of drought and flooding across Somalia, has had a catastrophic impact on the ordinary citizens of Somalia.
Nearly half of Somalia’s population, 3.2 million people, is now in need of humanitarian assistance. This number has increased by 77% since the start of 2008. 1.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, drought, flooding and record high food prices. Across the majority of the county, people are suffering from malnutrition above the UN’s emergency threshold rates.
Aid agencies are able to provide only a fraction of the assistance needed by people in desperate need in Somalia because of the ongoing extreme violence and increasing assassinations and threats directed at those trying to help. This year alone, over 30 aid workers have been killed while trying to carry out their work in the country.
Oxfam International is extremely concerned that the humanitarian crisis will worsen over the coming months as violence continues, drought spreads, floods affect other areas and record high food prices continue to price the poorest out of the essentials they need.
Oxfam is there
Despite severe access difficulties, we are working with local Somali partner organizations, is providing vital assistance to half a million people across Somalia.
We are currently supporting a pioneering program providing hot meals to more than 60,000 people across Mogadishu every day, providing water to 200,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes, carrying out life saving relief programs providing cash to the most vulnerable sections of society, and working with local Somali organizations to provide them with the tools to make a positive contribution to their own country’s future.
Like in other emergencies, we're also actively engaged in regional and international lobbying on issues related to the crisis in Somalia, including calling for ordinary Somalis to be able to access the aid they desperately need.
Updates
18 December 2008
Oxfam has been working with a local partner, the Centre for Education and Development, in Southern Somalia - providing assistance to over 8,000 vulnerable people to build a working sanitation system.
18 December 2008
The humanitarian situation in Somalia is deteriorating at a profound rate. Since the start of the year, the number of people in need in Somalia has risen by 77% to 3.25 million or nearly half of Somalia’s population.
7 October 2008
Despite the ongoing political process we have not witnessed any lessening of the violence that continues to have a horrendous impact on civilians.
