Radio education helps Somalis
The course was particularly successful among women
Some 10,000 Somalis have been taught basic literacy, numeracy and life skills following a successful BBC World Service broadcast. Macallinka Raadiyaha (Radio Teacher), a BBC World Service Trust project, is an education programme designed to help people who signed up for the Somalia Distance Education Literacy Programme, or Somdel. Of the 10,908 people on Somdel, 9,000 passed their final exam. Of those, 70% were women. "The success of Somdel cannot be underestimated given that as a result of civil war, a whole generation of people have been excluded from education," said John Tuckey, the project manager of BBC World Service Trust.
He added that the success of Somdel would be of great benefit to the country. "Developing literacy, numeracy and life skills will improve their opportunities for sustainable livelihoods in a country where conflict is endemic," he stressed. "It also demonstrates that radio is a powerful educational tool."
Communities
The programme reached many areas in Somalia where conflict and lack of resources prevented any other form of educational delivery. Radios were provided to those who needed them. Run in partnership with the African Educational Trust, Somdel produced programmes that were close to the experience of Somalis. This included exploring issues like health, human rights and sustaining the environment in rural areas, as well as literacy and numeracy.
It was the first time radio teaching had been tried in Somalia
Community initiative and involvement also featured as part of Somdel.
Teachers were nominated by the community and received training and printed support materials.
How and where classes were organised was decided by the community - as long as teacher and class continued to work together, Somdel was sustainable even amongst populations displaced by violence and in the most difficult conditions in rural Somalia. This was the first time that teaching by radio was attempted in Somalia, and Somdel was particularly successful in offering females their only opportunity to education. Due to overwhelming demand and impact of the project, the BBC World Service Trust is now developing the next phase of Somdel with the African Educational Trust.
Source: UNICEF, 20 Jun 2003
UNICEF deplores increased targeting of children in Somalia
Nairobi, 20 June 2003 - The targeted killing of three girls in Baidoa on Wednesday and the hijacking of a busload of children in Mogadishu last week are abominable acts that require the strongest condemnation by all Somalis, UNICEF Somalia Representative, Jesper Morch, said today. ''These incidents dramatically highlight the need for Somalis to halt the escalation of conflict in Central and Southern Somalia which has seen growing levels of trauma and violence, increasingly targeting small children. It particularly challenges Somali leaders currently discussing the future of their country to ensure that all children are protected against violence,'' said Morch.
On Wednesday, 18 June 2003, three teenage schoolgirls were killed at a house in Baidoa, Central Somalia, in an incident allegedly carried out by members of a local militia group. According to community members and media in Somalia, two of the girls died at the scene while the third died in hospital on Tuesday night. Reports suggest that the attack was a targeted retaliation for another killing.
In a separate incident in Mogadishu during the past week, a girl about eight years old was kidnapped and taken hostage by gunmen during a failed attempt to kidnap her father. The girl remains in captivity. This is the third case of abduction and kidnapping of children in the city in less than one week. Two other children, including a seven year old boy, were also abducted and still remain in captivity.
A week earlier, on Wednesday June 11, a bus belonging to Hamar Kindergarten in Mogadishu that was carrying 37 young children was ambushed and commandeered by gunmen. After a harrowing ride, the gunmen abandoned the children in groups, away from their homes. Community members assisted the children in returning to their families.
These incidents are the latest in a worrying pattern that includes killings, kidnappings and attacks targeting children in Mogadishu and other vulnerable places in Central and Southern Somalia since late last year. Of note, was an attack in December 2002 on another school bus, resulting in the deaths of several children, and an attack on a public bus in January 2003 in which a 12 year old boy died. The June attacks came as celebrations to mark the Day of the African Child were underway in key cities throughout Somalia and underline the precarious situation of children.
The voice of UNICEF echoes the deep concern of thousands of Somali citizens who want an end to the cycle of violence in Mogadishu and other parts of the country. At a time when Somali leaders are discussing peace and national reconciliation in Kenya, these incidents are a reminder of their obligation to take concrete steps toward the restoration of peace, law and order.
For more information contact: Julia Spry-Leverton, Communication Officer, UNICEF Somalia, Email: jsleverton@unicef.org, website at
http://www.unicef.org/
Source: World Food Programme (WFP)
Date: 20 Jun 2003
WFP Emergency Report No. 25 of 2003
Somalia
(a) The security situation remained fluid in Somalia following the recent inter-factional fighting that led to the death of 20 people in Middle-Shabelle Region in Southern Somalia. The fighting was a breach of the cease-fire agreement reached in October last year by Somali Parties participating in the peace conference currently going on in Nairobi, Kenya. Other areas remained relatively calm.
(b) Malnutrition amongst children and women remains a major challenge in several parts of Somalia. WFP continues to support Supplementary Feeding Programmes alongside other partners, to improve the nutritional levels of the vulnerable groups. A recent assessment indicates that over 80 percent of those attending the supplementary feeding programme at Belet-Weyne town in South Somali were residents of the poorer parts of the town. The causes of malnutrition were related to illnesses such as diarrhoea, malaria, bronchitis and tuberculosis. Difficulties in accessing adequate food also contributed to the high levels of malnutrition in female-headed households.
(c) WFP is negotiating with authorities in the Northwest region of Somalia where it intends to launch a school-feeding programme. The education system in much of Somalia has been left in serious disarray after over a decade of civil war leading to low enrolment levels over the years. The first phase of the WFP school feeding programme targets 23 schools in West Galbeed, Awdal and Sahil Districts and intends to reach about 4,456 school going children, including 3,324 boys and 1,132 girls. The schools targeted are mainly in the rural pastoral and agricultural zones where enrolment is highly affected by the large distances from home to school, greater domestic workloads on family farms and seasonal migration during the dry seasons. A total of 134 tons of food will be distributed to the 23 schools. WFP will also spend about USD 44,579 to cover infrastructure costs such as the construction of kitchens and eating areas.
(d) In the month of May, WFP distributed 1,355 tons of food, of which 24 tons was for relief food aid, 454 tons was distributed through the social sector support and 877 tons to rehabilitation activities.
Source: www.reliefweb.int :
Somalia, Monthly Nutrition Update for Somalia Jun 2003>
Source: Food Security Assessment Unit, 19 Jun 2003
This issue highlights the plight of communities affected by continued insecurity in Lower Jubba where access for humanitarian organisations continues to be a major constraint in the delivery of appropriate assistance.
In the Sool Plateau, the nutrition survey results confirm the precarious and highly vulnerable situation faced by the population which continues to face enormous constraints in sustaining both livelihoods and basic nutritional needs. Here, the governing authorities and humanitarian organisations face the challenge of supporting communities with interventions that can prevent further deterioration of an already fragile environment in an area which also presents issues of inadequate access due to insecurity.
Inadequate access for humanitarian organisations to communities in Gedo continues to hamper efforts to support recovery from years of drought.
LOWER JUBBA REGION - MALNUTRITION IN COMMUNITIES AFFFECTED BY RECENT INSECURITY
An armed clan conflict that began in November 2002 spilled over into most parts of Bu'ale and Hagar Districts resulting in the burning of many houses in Bu'ale town. Bu'ale District has an estimated population 50,000 people. Vulnerability assessment and baseline work carried out by FEWS NET and FSAU in March 2003 indicated severe loss and destruction of property and food stocks, businesses, standing crops and underground granaries by the militias. The riverine food economy group and villages surrounding Bu'ale town were the most affected by the conflict. Consequently market supply of local cereals and imported foods was hampered leading to soaring up of prices by about 50% as compared to May 2002. The situation was worsened by the below normal crop harvest in the previous Deyr. Thus most households are currently surviving on borrowing and market purchases of food items. Both SRCS and World Vision are involved in health service provision in the district. In May 2003 ICRC/SRCS distributed plastic sheeting, mosquito nets and household utensils to the affected population. World Vision operates a limited health service in the town. Although a ceasefire has now been agreed, not all displaced have returned.
Between 19th and 21st May 2003, FSAU conducted a rapid assessment using MUAC in Tateey village in the District, the only location among the affected villages where good numbers of residents have returned. Using total population assessment, all the children present in the village at the time of the assessment were assessed. The results of the assessment confirmed a poor nutritional status. As indicated in the table, around 28% of the measured children were malnourished (MUAC< 12.5cm) whereas about 11% were at risk of malnutrition. The MCH data also confirms the high malnutrition rates along with lowest attendance around January 2003 when the fighting was at its peak. Close monitoring of the nutrition and food security situation in Bu'ale District will continue.
KISMAYO- PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF NUTRITION SURVEY
Kismayo is one of the five districts in lower Juba region of southern Somalia. The current population estimate is 80,000, although there is high in-migration from other parts of the country of people seeking employment and internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing from insecurity and food shortage. There is a large seaport and airport that can harbour and land big ships and planes. Despite the favourable ecology for farming and livestock rearing, casual work and petty trade are important sources of livelihoods.
The political and socio-economic scenario in the district continues to be complex and volatile, characterised by civil unrest, frequent inter-clan fighting, manmade and natural floods along the Jubba Valley River, and successive crop failures. The El Nino floods of 1997 seriously affected the Lower Jubba region compromising the productive capacity of Kismayo District in particular. The situation improved when the Jubba Valley Authority took control of the town in 1999, establishing a local administration and social network to maintain some stability in Kismayo District.
IDPs and the urban poor, live in deplorable conditions, both in terms of housing, overcrowding, and lack of water and toilet facilities. Additionally, there have been repeated concerns among humanitarian agencies, about their access to food and basic services, and (specifically with UNICEF), issues affecting children in the district. In March 2003, FSAU conducted a rapid mid upper arm circumference assessment of the under fives in the IDP camps and found malnutrition rates (MUAC below 12.5 cm) to be 21%.
UNICEF, in collaboration with FSAU, Muslim Aid, SRCS and local authorities conducted a nutrition survey in Kismayo District in May 2003 to assess the level of malnutrition among children less than five years. The survey aimed at understanding the underlying causes of malnutrition, and to determine retrospective mortality rates. A two-stage cluster sampling methodology was used and the nutritional status of 913 children aged 6-59 months was assessed. A total of 901 households responded to the questionnaire on mortality. Weight for height (Z score) indicator was used in analysis of nutritional status.
The prevalence of global acute malnutrition was found to be 12.3% (95% CI 9.6% - 15.6%) and severe acute malnutrition, 1.9 % (95% CI 1.1% - 3.0%). This prevalence depicts a serious nutrition situation (the situation may further be classified as serious-critical, based on the upper confidence limit) according to WHO classification (1995). This is consistent with seasonal norms based on findings in districts like Jamame in the same region, Rabdure in Bakool and Belet Weyne in Hiran region.
1 About 2.8% of the children came from internally displaced and returnee households.
Factors that controlled further deterioration of the nutrition situation
The food security situation is currently considered 'normal' and compares well with year 2000 which has been identified as the last normal year for the whole of Juba Valley region. Both cereal and imported food commodities are available in the market. Over 80% of households reported purchase as their main sources of food. Casual work and petty trade provided 74% of the cash income which ranged from Ssh. 4000 - 10,000 per day. With regard to intra-household food distribution, children were reported to receive priority, both in quantity, quality and in times of distress. The terms of trade are favourable to the pastoral and agro-pastoral groups as one local goat can be exchanged for 150kg maize.
About 89% of the children had received Vitamin A supplementation within six months prior to the survey, and 70% had been immunised against measles. The fairly high measles immunisation may have prevented outbreaks and controlled further deterioration in nutrition status. Complementary feeding practices for children aged above six months are fair, with 84% of the surveyed children receiving a minimum of three meals a day.
Factors underlying the serious nutrition situation
The poor nutrition situation, with global acute malnutrition rate of 12.3% is attributed to poor infant feeding habits, gradual depletion of the current food stocks, consumption of unsafe water, poor personal and environmental sanitation and high morbidity rates.
Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 4 months of life is practiced by 10% of mothers while only 23% of the children have been provided with breast milk for 18 months and above. These poor child feeding practices are attributed to lack of knowledge and inadequate time for care activities. High in-migration from other parts of the country of people seeking employment and, internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing from insecurity and food shortage seems to place considerable strain on the food stocks in Kismayo district. Subsequently, 43% of the surveyed households indicated that they adopt borrowing of income and/or food from the better-off in order to cope, indicating limited access to food by a significant number of households. This coping strategy further explains why mothers are engaged in petty trade and casual work to support livelihood activities, at the expense of child care practices such as exclusive and/or persistence in breastfeeding.
The main sources of water in Kismayo district are the open hand dug wells and the river. Lack of toilets especially in Shakalaha section and IDP camps of Kismayo town, poor use of the available toilets in overcrowded areas and for some households, disposal of faecal matter within the compound and/or playing ground for children has contributed to contamination of water and food; and has resulted in high rates of diarrhoeal and malaria incidences (25% and 12% respectively). ARI is also rampant with a prevalence rate of 41% two weeks prior to the survey. Late presentation of the sick (including children) to the health centres whose services can only be accessed by 70% of the population has also contributed to malnutrition and deaths.
The recommendations from the survey emphasized the need to focus on safe water supply and environmental sanitation by all key actors and communities; increasing knowledge of appropriate child feeding practices and; both medium and longer-term food security interventions. The overriding problem in Somalia (including Kismayo district) remains insecurity which stirs up high in-migration to safer areas and underpins the potential of livelihood interventions by communities and humanitarian agencies. Rural urban differences such as lack of income generating activities also need to be addressed.
SOOL PLATEAU (SOOL AND SANAAG REGION PORTION) NUTRITION SURVEY - PREMIMINARY RESULTS
Sool plateau is an ecosystem mainly inhabited by pastoralists. The surveyed area covered part of Sool plateau situated in Sool and Sanaag Regions of Somalia. This is the largest part of the plateau and is currently one of the most food insecure areas in northern Somalia, a situation exacerbated by severe water shortage, and also by the late and scanty 2003 Gu rains. Sool plateau food economy zone has experienced frequent vulnerability and deficits in food availability mainly attributed to chronic drought situation that has persisted for the last three to four years. The drought led to severe depletion of pastures and exhaustion of water points with subsequent negative consequences on livestock and human. The household assets have been exhausted and the population is currently subsisting. Massive livestock deaths have also been reported for cattle and camels. About 50- 60% of the pastoral population had moved in search of water and pasture. However the middle and poor pastoral groups remained in the plateau due to physical weakness of their animals and lack of pack animals.
Food security assessments undertaken in April 2003 indicated extremely high levels of human suffering in the ecosystem with the poor pastoral families who could not move being critically affected. In addition, both the Somaliland and Puntland authorities had also expressed concerns for the populations in the ecosystem between February and April 2003. Despite the reported human suffering, curtailed access to the area for humanitarian organisations has limited the possibilities for nutrition surveys of the area but finally, with reports of worsening food security situation and delayed Gu rains, a nutrition survey was planned for the sections of the Plateau located within Somaliland. Thus, between 24th May and 1st June 2003, FSAU in collaboration with MOHL, UNICEF and SRCS undertook a survey in Sool plateau of Sool and Sanaag with the main aim of determining the nutritional status of children aged 6-59 months, establishing the current food security situation and recommendations.
Preliminary results, that were analysed and discussed with participating partners both in Hargeisa and Sanaag indicate a global acute malnutrition rate of 12.5% (CI 10.5-14.9) using Weight/Height <-2 Z scores or oedema and severe acute malnutrition 1.8 % (CI 1.1 -3.0) using Weight/Height <-3 z-scores or oedema. The under-five mortality rate was 1.9 deaths/10,000 children/day.
The main food source at the time of the survey was through purchases (68%), animal products 23% and social support (8%). Social network support /gifts/casual works are the main sources of income 37%, sale of animal/animal products 37% and petty trade 24% (tea kiosks, small shops). The main coping strategies were credit/ borrowing/ purchases 52%, Social network support/ splitting of families 30% and sale of livestock 17%.
As indicated in the table, incidences of diarrhoea were high while immunisation levels were low for measles. Vitamin A supplementation was also low at less than a half of the children. The survey also noted sub-optimal feeding practices with nearly all the surveyed children given foods other than breastmilk before six months while a high proportion, over a third of the children in the breastfeeding age being stopped breastfeeding before six months.
Most of the pastoralists in the ecosystem report increasing difficulty to obtain sufficient cash to purchase food as they have lost up to half of their livestock to drought as revealed in the qualitative findings. Food security information also indicates that income from milk and livestock sales which normally provide about 80% of the household income has been reduced by about 50%. Although the terms of livestock trade have been good, only a few families have sellable animals at the moment due to the rapid decline of body condition caused by weight loss. The information further indicated that food intake among the middle and poor groups was between 1800 and 2000 Kcal indicating a deficit of 5-15%. At the moment the majority are just surviving having lost high numbers of their livestock which should be normally main source of income and food. Given that the rains were below normal at the time of the survey and rain season is almost over, the community predicts that there could be collapse of the entire social support system if the situation continues to deteriorate.
Discussions with the participating organizations have suggested the following as short-term recommendations for intervention:
- Targeted general food distribution in the highly vulnerable areas of the plateau for 1-2 months;
- Supplementary feeding programme for pregnant/lactating mothers and children under five years in the plateau;
- Continue monitoring the food and nutrition situation in the area very closely,
- Intensify promotive and preventive health care interventions focusing on immunisation, hygiene, and control of water related diseases;
- Promote nutrition education through the MCH/outposts focusing on breastfeeding, complementary feeding and frequency of feeding of infants and young children as well as feeding of sick children; and
- Rehabilitate run-down boreholes, berkads and dams with an aim of increasing access to water for both human and livestock.
Results have been discussed with the government authorities in Hargeisa and follow-up will be reported in next month's Nutrition Update.
COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ON MORTALITY
In February-March 2003, UNICEF in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Labour (MOHL-Somaliland) and FSAU carried out nutrition survey in the resettlement villages of Hargeisa. A proxy indication of mortality was taken retrospectively to provide some idea on the health situation of the population during the survey. The mortality assessment was done concurrently with nutrition survey in which a 30 by 30 cluster sampling methodology was used. The survey methodology used for the nutrition survey was adopted for mortality assessment with the exception that households were selected were the subsequent units of analysis. At least 30 households were randomly selected in each cluster and the mortality questionnaire administered to a responsible member of that household. All households within the selected cluster were eligible for inclusion for the mortality assessment, whether there was an under-five or not. A total of 902 households were assessed for mortality status and the results computed
2. The mortality rates have been interpreted according to the following reference (Moren, 1995)
For under-five years old children
- Under-five mortality rates >= 2 deaths/10,000/day indicate a situation of alert
- Under five mortality rate >=4 deaths/10,000 children/day indicate an emergency
For the total population
- Mortality rates >=1 deaths/10,000 persons/day indicate an alert situation
- Mortality rates >=2 deaths/10,000 persons/day indicate an emergency.
In the March issue of this update, preliminary results of the survey was presented that showed an under-five mortality of 3.7 deaths/10,000 children /day. This indeed showed a serious situation with serious implications of the welfare of the population. Subsequently a validation mission and revision of the mortality data was carried out by the participating partners in April in which irregularities in some reporting was revealed. The revision led to re-calculation of the mortality rates that has yielded an under-five mortality rate of 2.9 deaths/10,000 children/day with a CMR of 1.9/10,000 people/day. Continued validation exercise is continuing with a plan by UNICEF to establish a community surveillance system in the camps.
BAY REGION
In Dinsor district the 2003 Gu rains were very poor resulting in total crop establishment failure and lack of agricultural related activities in some areas of the district. However, in the southeast pastoral areas, locally known as Doy, good rains were received and milk is now available in Dinsor town. Following very good Gu and Deyr seasons in the district in 2002, cereal stocks from previous harvests are still available. The prices of locally produced cereals have been stable and have just begun increasing. Vegetables are limited in supply in the last two months due impassable road between Qoryooley, the main supplier, and Dinsor.
Between 2nd and 3rd June 2003, FSAU and IMC conducted an assessment of Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) in Dinsor aimed at assessing the overall nutritional status of children under the age of five years in the town. All six sections of the town were included with a total of 300 children selected randomly for measurement. The results indicate that around one quarter of the children were malnourished while 22% of them were at risk of malnutrition.
Malnutrition levels in the district remains a significant problem despite improvements in food security indicators in the previous two seasons. This is partly explained by the widespread poor uptake of health services (families prefer traditional herbal medicine to modern healthcare), chronic common child illnesses such as diarrhoea and malaria, sub-optimal childcare practices (e.g. close child spacing, poor quality of complementary foods, etc) in the district. The poor crop prospects in most parts of the district, the accompanied low employment opportunities (self and paid employment), and the rising prices of basic cereals is likely to worsen the situation. Organisation in the district have discussed means of promoting greater diversification of diet, improved child feeding practices, and increasing awareness of both preventive and curative health care activities.
Qansaxdheere. Crop establishment in the district was poor due to insect infestation, poor rains, and crop diseases associated with the inoculum of the previous crop residues. The agriculturally potential area of Oof-laawe is predicted at around 75% of its normal productivity. About 25% of total land in Qansaxdheere District is planted with maize crop due to fear of bird attack and the prospect of maize crop harvest is low. In the area of Ufurow and parts of Habala Barbaar, there is near total crop failure. If the rains do not continue throughout June then late-planted sorghum is expected to have very low yields. Sorghum prices have increased significantly and although milk is available the price is very high, thus reducing access significantly for the less well off households.
SRCS is operating an SFP in Qansaxdheere with current total beneficiaries of 250 children (160 old cases+ 90 new cases). WFP is also providing family ration to the households of malnourished children. As shown in the chart, nutrition surveillance data recorded at Qansaxdheere MCH indicates malnutrition levels of between 11% and 29% for attendance of between 460 and 780 per month. The attributed causes include food insecurity and morbidity particularly diarrhoea. Most of the malnourished children came from Qansaxdheere satellite villages like Bulo Gumar, Belet-Amin and Wadajir section of the town where the poorer households who originally moved from rural areas are living.
Berdaale has been the most vulnerable district in Bay Region because of past poor crop harvests, water shortages, reduced job opportunities and out-migration of livestock movement in search of pasture. However, during 2002 food availability improved and prospects for the current harvest are good.
Despite the general improvement of the food security situation in the district, around 20% of the poor urban and rural in the district continue to be food insecure since they have minimal land holding or are landless and can never realise adequate production. As shown in the chart, there was an increase in the number of the beneficiaries from March to May 2003 at Berdaale supplementary feeding program. The increase was associated with an influx of internally displaced persons who fled from their rural homes into Berdaale town as a result of inter-clan conflicts between February and May 2003.
Source URL:
http://www.unsomalia.org/FSAU/index.htm
Source: UN Security Council, 10 Jun 2003/S/2003/636
Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Somalia
I. Introduction
1. In its presidential statement of 31 October 2001 (S/PRST/2001/30), the Security Council requested me to submit reports, at least every four months, on the situation in Somalia and the efforts to promote the peace process, including updates on the scope and contingency planning for launching a peace-building mission for Somalia.
2. The present report covers the period since my last report on this subject, dated 26 February 2003 (S/2003/231). It provides an update on the progress made and the support given by the international community, in particular by the United Nations system, to the ongoing Somali national reconciliation process at Mbagathi, Kenya, under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its Kenyan chairmanship. The report also covers political developments, humanitarian conditions and the security situation in Somalia, as well as the humanitarian and development activities of United Nations programmes and agencies concerning Somalia, including measures taken in response to resolution 1425 (2002) of 22 July 2002.
II. Somali national reconciliation process
3. Kenya's new Special Envoy for Somalia, Bethuel Kiplagat, has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen and restructure the reconciliation process. He has set up a Somali arbitration committee, whose 15 members comprise 3 persons from each clan, including minorities, to handle the persistent problems relating to representation at the conference. In order to help harmonize the reports of the six reconciliation committees, he also set up a technical harmonization committee composed of Somali experts. As indicated in my last report, these committees have been working on draft texts on federalism and a provisional charter; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; land and property rights; economic recovery, institution-building and resource mobilization; conflict resolution and reconciliation; and regional and international relations. Some members of the Somali Leaders Committee objected to the establishment of the technical harmonization committee, preferring instead to handle the harmonization effort at the political level. This issue is yet to be settled. Mr. Kiplagat has also succeeded in reducing the overall costs of the Somalia national Reconciliation Conference by more than half through the reduction of the number of delegates and personnel and the relocation of the Conference from Eldoret to Mbagathi, near Nairobi.
4. The Kenyan Minister for Foreign Affairs launched the plenary of the second phase of the Conference on 14 May 2003. In June the plenary is expected to endorse by consensus the reports prepared by the six reconciliation committees. Soon thereafter, the third phase of the Conference is expected to select an all-inclusive Government. Most of the 360 Somali delegates participated in the launching event, which was given wide press coverage and was attended by representatives of the international community.
5. While the Transitional National Government, as represented by its Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly, as well as many other leaders belonging to the Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council and representing "Puntland", continued their active participation in the Conference, other leaders, including Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, Musse Sudi "Yallahow", Osman Hassan Ali "Atto", Omar Mahmud Mohamed "Finish" from Mogadishu and Barre Aden Shire "Hirale" of the Juba Valley Alliance, based in Kismayo, were absent from the Conference for almost two months. Many of these leaders returned to Mbagathi for the start of the plenary of the second phase of the Conference.
6. On 11 March the Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly, at that time acting as the leader of the Transitional National Government delegation at the Conference, accused Ethiopia of amassing troops on its border with Somalia and of crossing into the country at several locations. He demanded that Ethiopia be excluded from the IGAD Technical Committee overseeing the reconciliation process, presently composed of the Frontline States (Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya) and the IGAD secretariat. In a similar vein, the Chairman of the Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), Colonel Hassan Mohamed Nur " Shatigadud", issued a statement on 23 March protesting that one of his former deputies, who has opposed him militarily in recent months, was accompanying a two-man IGAD monitoring delegation to Baidoa. He also accused Ethiopia of disrupting progress in the reconciliation process and of encouraging new rounds of fighting in Somalia. Ethiopia denied these allegations and reiterated its commitment to peace in Somalia.
7. Following the decision of the Foreign Ministers of the Frontline States to establish a committee to monitor implementation of the Eldoret Declaration (S/2002/1359, annex), comprising IGAD, the African Union, the United Nations, the European Commission, the League of Arab States and some IGAD Partners Forum member States, the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, at its first meeting, on 4 March, addressed the escalation of hostilities in Somalia, in particular the fighting in the Medina district of Mogadishu between the militias of Musse Sudi "Yallahow" and Omar Mahmud Mohamed "Finish", as well as the fighting at Buale in the Juba Valley (see paras. 27 and 28 below). The Committee condemned the violence and called on all parties to desist from fighting.
8. Kenya has provided a retired General to serve as an adviser to the Committee, and the African Union has agreed to provide military personnel to serve as monitors in support of the Committee. A working group of the Committee, composed of IGAD, the African Union, Ethiopia, the League of Arab States, the European Commission, Sweden and the United Nations, has been established as an advisory body to the IGAD Technical Committee on issues pertaining to its monitoring tasks. My Representative has been participating in the Committees as an observer.
9. On 6 March the Presidency of the European Union (Greece) issued a statement condemning all violations of the Eldoret Declaration. On 19 April the League of Arab States issued a statement calling on the Somali leaders to adhere to the Declaration and to accelerate their efforts to reach a political settlement to the Somali crisis. They also called on international and regional organizations to cooperate with the League of Arab States in establishing a programme aimed at restoring security to Somalia through the disarmament of the militias.
10. The decision to hold monthly meetings of the Foreign Ministers of the Frontline States (see S/2003/231, para. 31) has not been implemented, leaving the issue of the non-participation of "Somaliland" in the reconciliation process yet to be discussed at that level. Some Somali leaders have underlined that the absence of "Somaliland" from the reconciliation process will seriously undermine the process. It was hoped that the challenges faced in the ongoing Somali national reconciliation process would be discussed at the tenth IGAD Summit, which was scheduled to take place from 23 to 27 April in Kampala. However, the Summit was also postponed.
III. Activities of the United Nations
11. My Representative and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia continue to actively monitor and support the reconciliation process, while the country team and its partners have intensified operational efforts to contribute to peace-building and reconciliation inside Somalia. My Representative meets regularly with Somali leaders, IGAD representatives and donors, in particular the IGAD Partners Forum, in order to help make the reconciliation process as inclusive as possible and to coordinate the international community's support for the process. In mid-May, in view of the apparently high expectations of a future United Nations role in Somalia among those involved in the Conference, a senior officer from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations joined the Mbagathi team of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia for a week to clarify to the Somali parties and the IGAD mediation team the requirements and parameters for possible United Nations assistance in implementing an eventual peace plan for Somalia, particularly regarding ceasefire monitoring and demilitarization and demobilization.
12. In accordance with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, the United Nations has continued to support the mainstreaming of a gender perspective and women's human rights issues at the Conference and has provided a gender expert to work with the IGAD mediation team. The establishment of a women's resource centre for information, dialogue and negotiation has provided women delegates with the much-needed practical support to enhance their efforts. Somali women delegates developed and compiled a lobbying document on gender issues for discussion at the Conference. The key issues raised include affirmative action, special measures on women's representation, women's access to and control over resources, and the impact of war on women and girls.
13. At a United Nations workshop organized for key Somali business leaders from 24 to 26 May 2003, at the request of Mr. Kiplagat, the Somali business community requested its participation in the work of the Conference and expressed its willingness to support the outcome of the Somali national reconciliation process.
14. Two meetings of the Somalia Contact Group were held during the current reporting period, one in New York on 14 March, chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and the other in Nairobi on 27 March, chaired by my Representative. At the latter meeting, Mr. Kiplagat reported on the progress being made and the challenges faced in the reconciliation process, and the need for increased international support for the peace process in Somalia was reiterated.
15. The Panel of Experts established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1425 (2002) submitted its report (S/2003/223) on 25 March 2003. In accordance with resolution 1474 (2003) of 8 April 2003, by which the Council decided to re-establish the Panel of Experts, I appointed the Panel's four members, including the Chairman, on 30 April 2003 (see S/2003/515). The Panel began its work on 12 May and it is scheduled to provide a mid-term briefing to the Council in August.
16. At its fifty-ninth session the Commission on Human Rights decided to extend the mandate of the independent expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Ghanim Alnajjar, for a further year and, inter alia, welcomed the progress achieved at the Mbagathi Conference.
IV. Developments inside Somalia
17. On 27 March 2003 the President of the Transitional National Government, Abdikassim Salad Hassan, and some faction leaders based in Mogadishu held a meeting. Citing the lack of progress at the Mbagathi Conference, they stated that it was their intention to proceed with efforts at restoring security in Mogadishu and to convene a Somali national reconciliation conference inside Somalia.
18. On 31 March, in the company of a number of Somali leaders who had continued their participation at the Mbagathi Conference, Hussein Aidid, at a press conference in Nairobi, strongly denounced the Mogadishu meeting as divisive. He urged the Somalia leaders meeting in Mogadishu to end their parallel endeavours and to proceed to Mbagathi. However, the Prime Minister's Office in Mogadishu reportedly told the press that the Mogadishu meeting was not intended to be an alternative to the Mbagathi Conference but a consultative meeting to discuss ways of bringing stability and security to the Somali capital.
19. Reports indicate that disagreements have emerged between President Hassan, who has remained in Mogadishu, and the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly, who are leading the Transitional National Government delegation at the Mbagathi Conference. Differences on how the reconciliation process should proceed have also been reported among members of the delegation. The Prime Minister is reported to have dismissed the Commerce Minister and the Minister of State for Disarmament and Demobilization in April for failing to adhere to the policy of the Transitional National Government at the Conference. On 26 May the Prime Minister returned to Mogadishu for consultations.
20. After an eight-month recess, the Transitional National Assembly reconvened its fifth session on 28 April with 165 out of the 245 members present. The Assembly had been unable to meet, ostensibly because most of its members were at the Mbagathi Conference. The reconvened Assembly has been debating the possibilities of reviewing the Transitional National Charter, with the aim of extending the Transitional National Government's term of office beyond August 2003, when its three-year term expires.
21. "Presidential elections" took place in "Somaliland" on 14 April 2003. The three candidates representing three political parties were "Somaliland's" incumbent "president", Dahir Riyale Kahin of the Allied People's Democratic Party (UDUB); Ahmad Muhammad Silanyo, a veteran politician of the Solidarity Party (Kulmiye); and Faysal Ali Warabe, a civil engineer from the diaspora, of the Justice and Welfare Party (UCID). On 19 April the "National Electoral Commission" announced that incumbent "president" Dahir Riyale Kahin had won the election by a margin of 80 votes out of almost 500,000 cast. The Kulmiye Party rejected the results, questioning their accuracy and contending that political pressure had been exerted on the Commission.
22. Reports indicate that the polls were conducted in a peaceful manner, with trained "Somaliland" observers present at polling stations. There was no official international monitoring of the elections. However, representatives of South African non-governmental organizations and the Inter-Africa Group, as well as Addis Ababa- and Nairobi-based diplomats from Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America were present.
23. On 11 May the "Somaliland" High Court announced the official results, amending the figures released earlier by the Commission and placing UDUB in the lead by 217 votes. The Chairman of the Kulmiye party rejected the figures and reiterated that he would accept neither the Commission's results nor the High Court's decision. On 16 May Dahir Riyale Kahin and his deputy, Ahmad Yusuf Yasin, were sworn into office by the president of the " Somaliland" High Court. Meanwhile, the House of Elders extended the tenure of the House of Representatives for two years and its own term for three years.
24. In "Puntland", Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and his opponents participated in a reconciliation conference in Bossasso, involving 300 representatives from both sides, to end the conflict between his administration and the "Puntland" Salvation Movement, led by General Ade Muse Hirse. The latter is an ally of Jama Ali Jama, who was a rival claimant to the "Puntland" presidency. The two sides entered into a power-sharing agreement on 17 May. Reports indicate that Mr. Jama, although not part of the peace process, has welcomed the agreement, which was the outcome of a mediation effort by two prominent elders from Sanaag.
Security
25. While security conditions in "Somaliland" and "Puntland" remained calm during the current reporting period, the border dispute with regard to Sool and Sanaag districts continues to cause tensions between the two administrations.
26. Security conditions in southern Somalia continue to be a serious concern, with no clear local authority in many areas that could control the activities of bandits who extort money from travellers and merchants and where clan feuds continue to claim lives. In March humanitarian staff had to be withdrawn from southern Mudug and Galgudud due to fighting between the Abgal and Habr Gedir subclans. Fighting between RRA factions persists around Baidoa, with militias continuing to lay mines and carrying out raids into the town. On 10 April some 27 people were killed by a mine explosion on the Baidoa-Dinsor road and in subsequent fighting between the Leysan and Garewale clans. Baidoa and the areas within 40 kilometres of the town remain off limits to all United Nations staff due to insecurity. On 14 May a driver of a car hired by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was killed in Kismayo in a dispute between Marehan and Galjeel militias. The incident occurred during a tour of the city by two international humanitarian staff.
27. Access to the Gedo region by humanitarian agencies has been difficult due to intra-Marehan fighting. While tensions remain, fighting between the Bartire and Aulehan clans in the Juba Valley for control of the Buale district has subsided. Peace talks supported by businessmen, clan elders and religious groups are under way in Buale. The conflict claimed numerous lives and led to the displacement of people as well as the temporary closure of one of the few bridges across the Juba River. Buale also remains off limits to all United Nations staff due to insecurity.
28. The situation in Mogadishu remains unpredictable and dangerous, and access to the city for humanitarian agencies is very limited. National humanitarian staff conduct operations depending on the security situation. Abgal intra-clan clashes and fighting between militias loyal to Musse Sudi "Yallahow" and Omar Mahmud Mohamed "Finish" for control of the Medina district of Mogadishu resulted in several casualties in February and March. The Mogadishu seaport and airport remain closed. Crime is still a very significant problem in the city, with many reports of kidnappings, robberies, hijackings and other violent acts.
The humanitarian situation
29. The Somali people have continued to struggle with chronic food insecurity, poverty, disease, drought and severely limited educational and employment opportunities. Somalia's human development index remains one of the lowest in the world. About 400,000 Somalis are refugees in neighbouring countries, while up to 370,000 others are internally displaced.
30. Two good rainy seasons in 2002 have benefited rain-fed agriculture in the south of the country and improved conditions for livestock. As a result, overall cereal production reached a post-war high in March 2003, with an average 80 per cent increase nationwide. These developments have generally reduced acute food security problems, with some exceptions in the north-west, where drought conditions prevail, and in areas of the south, where conflict and lack of access are affecting the ability of some farmers to harvest their crops. The abundant rainfall has also reduced the incidence of cholera considerably.
31. It is anticipated that the 2004 harvest could be adversely affected by current floods in southern and central Somalia, in particular in areas along the Juba and Shabelle Rivers. However, so far the damage to farmland and levels of displacement appear to be minimal. United Nations agencies and their partners continue to monitor the situation and have pre-positioned relief supplies in the affected areas. Riverbanks have been strengthened and sluice gates along the Shabelle River have diverted water from areas under cultivation. The United Nations and the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office have also provided equipment and funds to conduct aerial surveys.
32. The Sool, Sanaag and Bari regions, however, continue to suffer the effects of successive years of drought and insecurity. Local authorities and humanitarian agencies have raised concerns regarding the situation of some 35,000 vulnerable pastoral people on the Sool plateau. The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator is making efforts to secure the necessary agreements from the "Somaliland" and "Puntland" authorities to conduct an inter-agency assessment of the areas. Other areas of continuing vulnerability include the central Mudug and Galgadud regions, the southern areas of the Bay region, and parts of the Lower and Middle Juba and Gedo regions.
33. While still fragile, relative stability in northern Somalia and, more recently, in some areas of the south has allowed cautious consideration of expanded operations in some areas. In "Puntland", United Nations agencies and their partners are taking measures to expand operations in support of peace-building, as well as to revitalize coordination mechanisms. In the Kismayo area, despite recurring incidents (see para. 26 above), local leaders have made efforts to improve security. As a result, several non-governmental organizations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have recently undertaken assessments with a view to re-establishing operations. The United Nations Development Programme and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are initiating work in the area to complement the long-standing programmes of UNICEF, Muslim Aid and the Somali Red Crescent Society that provide assistance to some 15,000 internally displaced persons and destitute local populations. At the same time, humanitarian access continues to be hampered in many areas of southern and central Somalia due to prevailing insecurity.
34. In May the United Nations country team and its partners reviewed the 2003 Common Humanitarian Action Plan, as well as the international response to the United Nations Consolidated Appeal. They noted that considerable progress had been made in the delivery of humanitarian relief, the reintegration of refugees, the promotion of the rule of law through law enforcement training and judicial reform, and poverty reduction through increased remittance flows and livestock exports. However, only 24 per cent of the $77.8 million requested through the Consolidated Appeal has been funded thus far.
V. Operational activities in support of peace
35. Peace-building activities by United Nations agencies are focused on four strategic operational objectives of the country team: protection and human rights, provision of basic services, HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Progress in all four of these areas is ongoing through multi-agency, multisectoral peace-building initiatives focused on the enhancement of skills for Somalis, the provision of basic services and exchanges of technical personnel.
36. In the context of United Nations activities on HIV/AIDS, training centres, and the livestock trade, I am pleased to note the re-engagement of the World Bank with Somalia through its innovative project for low-income countries under stress. The World Bank is supporting the above-mentioned activities through United Nations agencies, as well as through a United Nations project on macroeconomic data collection, analysis and dialogue.
37. No additional contributions to the Trust Fund for Peace-Building in Somalia have been received subsequent to those reported previously (see S/2003/231, para. 36).
Protection and human rights
38. The country team's strategic objective of protection and human rights envisages a comprehensive and sustained advocacy campaign in respect of Somali leaders, including governing authorities, faction leaders, elders, religious representatives and civil society. In an open letter dated 22 April to Somali leaders, the United Nations Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator drew attention in particular to the plight of internally displaced persons in Somalia, sought their commitment to cease hostilities and protect vulnerable civilians and offered support and assistance for their endeavours in this regard. The country team has also developed a protection and human rights framework for Somalia, which outlines a multi-agency plan for the documentation of existing activities and interventions for the future.
39. United Nations agencies and their partners have completed a child protection study that provides quantitative and qualitative data on vulnerable and marginalized children and those engaged in exploitative labour in Somalia.
40. The youth broadcasting project has reached the end of its first phase. The project seeks to empower youth to claim their human rights and is focused on technical training and creating access to electronic media for 20 youth groups. Radio and video materials were aired in several parts of Somalia on topics selected by the youth themselves, including HIV/AIDS, female genital mutilation and other topics relevant to their daily lives. Development of the second phase of the programme is under way.
41. The improvement and strengthening of a formal and non-formal juvenile justice system, in conformity with international standards for child protection, has been identified as a priority by the local authorities working towards legal reform and juvenile justice in "Somaliland", as well as by partner organizations working on child rights and protection. Many children are presently being detained in prison alongside adults and are sometimes victims of violence and abuse. The local authorities, in cooperation with partners, have initiated several actions to address the problem, including setting up a Law Review Committee, a Training Committee and a Juvenile Justice Forum. The Law Review Committee is examining existing legislation, identifying gaps and outlining areas that call for the drafting of new laws. The Training Committee will draft a curriculum and organize training events for law enforcement officials to build their capacity on a number of key issues, including child rights and protection. The Juvenile Justice Forum will address broader issues relating to juvenile justice, including prevention of abuse, rehabilitation and restorative justice issues.
42. The annex to my report on children and armed conflict (S/2002/1299) lists Somali parties recruiting or using child soldiers, including the Transitional National Government, the Juba Valley Alliance, the Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council, the Somalia Reconciliation and Restoration Council - Mogadishu and RRA. Reports also indicate that children participated in the fighting in "Puntland" in the forces of Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Jama Ali Jama. Bearing in mind that in its resolution 1460 (
http://wwww.reliefweb.int/w/Rwb.nsf/s/4011A130A9F37A4985256CBE006C0F66) (2003) of 30 January 2003, the Security Council, inter alia, called on all parties to armed conflict to halt the recruitment or use of children, the country team is engaged in advocacy efforts to seek the commitment of Somali parties to end the recruitment and use of children.
43. Some 120 child soldiers have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into their communities, and have benefited from a programme of vocational training, conflict resolution and trauma counselling. In an effort aimed at developing grass-roots Somali demobilization capacities, the United Nations, together with local partners, is beginning a second phase of the child soldier rehabilitation project in Mogadishu, Merca and Kismayo. The project will provide reintegration and rehabilitation opportunities for an additional 420 former child soldiers.
44. United Nations agencies and their partners also conducted a data collection exercise to assess the impact of small arms and light weapons on children in the towns mentioned above, with the participation of children who were given the opportunity to discuss their experiences and views. The findings of the report will be disseminated throughout Somalia using various mediums, including radio and video programmes produced by young people being trained as youth broadcasters.
45. A study of knowledge, attitudes and practice relating to the dangers of landmines and unexploded ordnance in "Somaliland" has been finalized. United Nations agencies and their partners are working together in the field of mine risk education and have drafted a strategy for implementing activities and programmes in "Somaliland". Support for the Mine Action Centres in "Somaliland" also continues. An assessment of the possibility of extending the programme in "Puntland" was carried out in February 2003, with the Danish Demining Group concluding the landmine impact survey.
46. In the area of judicial reform, activities continue to focus on the establishment of institutions and the development of capacity within existing institutions. In law enforcement, the establishment of a professional civilian police force that is able to effectively contribute to the restoration of peace and gain the trust of the community is a priority. Awareness has been created among women's groups, human rights activists and judiciary and law enforcement agencies in connection with the challenges that poor women, internally displaced persons and minority groups face in obtaining justice in the existing legal institutions. Training has also been carried out to highlight the need for "complementarity" among customary law, Shariah law and international human rights instruments.
47. A rapid assessment of women's access to justice in Somalia revealed that women are generally disadvantaged under all the three systems of law in Somalia, namely, civil, customary and Shariah. Each of them offers some measure of protection, but all remain inadequate and contradictory to an extent, leaving women vulnerable and insufficiently protected. Furthermore, the justice systems have an almost negligible number of women in service. It is imperative, therefore, to put in place interventions that support the recruitment and involvement of women in the justice system.
Livelihoods
48. United Nations agencies have launched with local partners a number of intensive projects for employment in the north-west, north-east and Mogadishu, using a community contracting system. A pilot project employing 600 people (70 per cent women) in Mogadishu has proved successful.
49. In late April, with the assistance of United Nations agencies, representatives of the Somali business community, including livestock and meat traders, met with representatives of the Transitional National Government, " Puntland" and "Somaliland", as well as with representatives of importing countries of the Middle East, to discuss the development and export of Somali livestock and livestock products. Together they recommended the formation of a Somali livestock board to regulate the industry through an improved system of disease surveillance, inspection and certification, for both internal and external markets.
Provision of basic services to vulnerable communities
50. The reintegration and resettlement of refugees and water and sanitation programmes of individual agencies are central to providing essential services to vulnerable communities. It is estimated that approximately 34,000 refugees from Djibouti and Ethiopia will be repatriated to Somalia in 2003. The repatriation began in May and will place additional burdens on existing basic social services, especially in the north-east and north-west.
51. United Nations agencies and donors continue to work in the water and sanitation sector and have identified the rehabilitation of boreholes aged 15 years or more as a new priority. The participation of private sector management and investment in urban water systems is being encouraged to ensure sustainability. The country team and its partners have constructed urban water supply systems and new shallow wells, and rehabilitated rural boreholes and infrastructure. They have also rehabilitated wells and protected existing shallow wells from pollution. They provided technical support to a local water enterprise in Galkayo, rehabilitated 10 shallow wells in the Hamar Wayne district in Mogadishu, benefiting 7,200 people, provided improved water supply for 1,500 families in Qorily in the Lower Shabelle region and provided a community borehole to the village of Armo in the Bari region.
52. The country team is implementing the expanded programme on immunization strategy for Somalia. More than 100 fixed sites have offered daily tuberculosis, DPT, oral polio and measles vaccinations for children and tetanus toxoid vaccinations for pregnant mothers. After careful microplanning at the district level and extensive training for vaccinators and social " mobilizers", vaccination drives took place in regional capitals and, for the first time, in several district capitals. Additionally, two national immunization campaigns took place during the reporting period, in which more than 1 million children were vaccinated.
HIV/AIDS prevention
53. The country team is focused on action that breaks the silence on and reduces the stigma of HIV/AIDS, and seeks to establish a realistic assessment of the magnitude and scope of the epidemic in Somalia. A national HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases strategic framework is being prepared under the auspices of the Somalia Aid Coordination Body. The development of zone-specific HIV/AIDS plans of action on the basis of this framework and the conduct of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevalence study in Somalia remain priorities for 2003. United Nations agencies and their partners also seek to improve interventions to control sexually transmitted diseases and increase the awareness and response-preparedness of communities. A communications strategy is being developed in parallel with this framework.
54. Two workshops were held on gender and HIV/AIDS for 60 policy makers in " Somaliland" and "Puntland". Capacity was enhanced for 15 HIV/AIDS counsellors at the Boroma Tuberculosis Hospital, through the provision of materials and equipment. United Nations agencies are also engaged in the evaluation of the syndromic management of sexually transmitted diseases. An inter-agency pilot multi-purpose centre, targeting youth and women with comprehensive services and activities such as youth development, capacity-building, psychosocial support and voluntary counselling and testing, is being developed.
Education and training
55. United Nations agencies and their partners accelerated the production and distribution of primary school textbooks and education kits as well as the finalization of manuscripts for textbooks on six subjects for grades five and six. A report on the adult literacy training needs of Somalia with accompanying proposals is close to completion, as well as the identification of possibilities for vocational and technical training.
56. A health sciences training institute will soon be opened by the " Somaliland" administration in Hargeisa, with United Nations multi-agency assistance. Efforts by a local women's organization, in collaboration with the Somali diaspora, to establish a community hospital with training facilities on the outskirts of Mogadishu are also being supported. United Nations agencies are assisting police training centres in the north-west and north-east whose curriculum emphasizes community-style policing and human rights concerns.
57. In March the health authorities from the south central, north-east and north-west areas of Somalia were brought together to sign a memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organization on the improvement of health-care delivery systems in all areas of Somalia, including efforts to foster an environment in which unified approaches, policies and strategies for combating common diseases could be developed.
VI. Observations
58. The Somalia National Reconciliation Conference at Mbagathi is about to enter its final phase, which will entail negotiations on the formation of an all-inclusive Government for Somalia. The international community has remained steadfast in its support for the Somali national reconciliation process under the auspices of IGAD, led by Kenya. The initiatives undertaken by the Kenyan Special Envoy for Somalia to revitalize the process merit the continued support of the international community.
59. The future of the reconciliation process continues to rest largely in Somali hands. The international community can only assist the Somali efforts and commitment to end years of conflict and deprivation. That is why I deplore the frequent violations by the Somali parties of their commitments to cease hostilities following the signing of the Eldoret Declaration on 27 October 2002 and the agreements of 2 and 4 December 2002 with regard to Mogadishu. IGAD's effort, through the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, to monitor implementation of the Eldoret Declaration, its appointment of a Coordinator of the Committee and the prompt decision of the African Union to dispatch monitors to Somalia in the near future should be commended. I call on all parties to refrain from hostilities and from any acts likely to increase tension during the national reconciliation process.
60. I have also witnessed with concern that some Somali leaders have absented themselves from the Conference, in some cases for almost two months, alleging insufficient representation or displeasure at the role of the IGAD Frontline States at the Conference. It is nevertheless encouraging to note that most of them have returned to the Conference to complete the second phase and to initiate the third and final phase. But the final results will be only as good as the substantive agreement reached by the Somalis themselves on the structures of future governance and their commitment to abide by the obligations they have accepted. An agreed overall political framework, a successful completion of the third phase with the formation of an all-inclusive Government and proven commitment to the ceasefire agreements would constitute a good basis for the international community to support the implementation of an eventual peace agreement in Somalia.
61. The IGAD Frontline States, as well as the international community at large, should narrow any differences they may have concerning the process. In my previous report I commended the IGAD Frontline States for the decision of their Foreign Ministers to meet at least once a month to discuss the progress made and the challenges faced in the effort to bring reconciliation and normalcy to Somalia (see S/2003/231, para. 53). However, since the first meeting, held in Addis Ababa on 2 February 2003, further Ministers' meetings have been repeatedly postponed. I must underline that at this critical juncture in the reconciliation process the sustained commitment of the Frontline States remains vital for the success of the Conference.
62. Efforts to initiate new programmes and maintain the pace of existing humanitarian assistance activities may be jeopardized if the modest requirements of the 2003 Consolidated Appeal are not met in a timely manner. To achieve peace and stability in Somalia, the international community needs to remain fully engaged. Although dismally low, human development index figures have remained steady for the past several years, indicating the positive effect of humanitarian aid and development assistance. However, without increased and sustained donor commitment, the outlook for Somalia remains grim. Any reduction in existing efforts, both for short-term relief and for the medium to long term, could upset the precarious balance achieved, with devastating effects, particularly on women and children. Donors are urged not to let the demands of other crises negatively affect the outlook for Somalia.
63. Furthermore, should the flooding caused by recent heavy rains intensify and result in widespread displacement and destruction of shelter and farmlands, a rapid disbursement of additional funds and assistance may be required to allow a timely and flexible response.
64. It remains imperative that in 2003 that the international community take advantage of the areas where relative peace and stability prevail to work with local and regional administrations in place in order to enhance access to basic services and promote wider rehabilitation in support of peace-building.
65. The generous financial contribution of the European Union and the sustained engagement of envoys from its member countries, as well as those of the IGAD Partners Forum, the African Union, the League of Arab States and other actors, underscore the commitment of the international community to encouraging a negotiated end to the conflict and supporting the establishment of an all-inclusive interim Government in Somalia. I welcome, in addition to the contributions of Ireland, Italy and Norway to the Trust Fund for Peace-Building in Somalia (ibid., para. 36), the early contributions of Canada, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and the European Community to the 2003 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Somalia. I call on other donors to contribute generously to the appeal, and to do so without delay so as to allow the effective implementation of a full, coherent and balanced humanitarian and peace-building programme.
66. I would like to commend my Representative, Winston Tubman, the staff of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia, the country team and many non-governmental organizations for their efforts in support of national reconciliation and peace in Somalia, as well as for their dedication to the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the country.
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