Bokero Posted May 2, 2007 From a non-Somali Source working in Somalia... > Dear friends, > > There is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in > Somalia and, if you are willing, you can help to bring > some momentum towards positive change by writing to > your MP. > > > > The main issues were covered well in the BBC's Today > programme this morning. Go to > www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ and look for > the broadcast at 07.12 on Somalia. Further points were > raised in the attached AP report, as covered by CNN. > > > > The human side to all this is: > > Ø Over 1,000 dead and 4,000 wounded civilians in > Mogadishu in the heavy fighting from 29 March-1 April, > which included indiscriminate shelling by Ethiopian > forces and helicopter gunships on civilian areas, and > further casualties since heavy shelling began again on > 20 April. > > Ø Over 320,000 people have fled Mogadishu since > February. The Kenyan border remains closed to refugees > fleeing the fighting, in contravention of > international humanitarian law. > > Ø There are confirmed reports of intimidation, > looting and rape of people fleeing Mogadishu by scores > of government and freelance militia at checkpoints on > all the roads out of the city. Public vehicles, which > normally have a security guard, are being disarmed by > government forces as they leave Mogadishu and are then > attacked and looted by both government and freelance > militiamen. > > Ø Displaced people are living in desperate > conditions without access to shelter, food, safe water > or medicines. Those who have the resources are renting > trees for shelter; others are living in the open along > the sides of the roads out of Mogadishu. > > Ø Other displaced people have managed to reach > central Somalia, where towns and villages are full of > people without any means to support themselves. The > better-off have managed to reach Somaliland in the > north, but their situation remains the same. > > Ø Widespread Acute Watery Diarrhoea (i.e. > cholera) has claimed 500 deaths by mid-April, and the > death rate is rising rapidly. > > Ø Seasonal rains have now started, aggravating > the crisis for people living in the open. The UN > issued a formal flood warning last week that heavy > rains in the Ethiopian highlands are expected to bring > floods by mid-May to areas around the Shabelle River, > where there are thousands of displaced people. > > > > Humanitarian access by international agencies has been > seriously impeded, if not blocked altogether, by > directives by the transitional Somali government, > which has refused to allow humanitarian flights to > land at airstrips around Mogadishu, blocked food aid > deliveries, and demanded inspection of all aid > deliveries (even though it does not have the mandate > to do this). There are numerous reports of > humanitarian agency staff being intimidated and > threatened by government and freelance militiamen at > road checkpoints, and of demands for payments in order > to deliver food aid, emergency shelter kits and > medicine. Given both the volatile military situation > and the blocks on humanitarian access by the > transitional government, the situation is > deteriorating rapidly. Ordinary Somali people feel > abandoned by the world in this crisis. > > > > The UK, along with other European donors and the US, > is continuing to fund both the transitional Somali > government and the Ethiopian government. This use of > British aid contravenes the UK Development Act, based > upon: > > (i) The illegal invasion of Somalia > by Ethiopia in December (without UN approval); > > (ii) Breaches of international > humanitarian law by all parties including Ethiopia and > the transitional Somali government, such as > indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, demands > that civilians leave or face the consequences, and the > blocking of humanitarian aid. > > > > Continued UK (and European) funding of the > transitional Somali government in the current > circumstances is not only morally wrong, but directly > contravenes the UK Development Act (and the Cotonou > Agreement in the case of EC funds). It is imperative > that direct funding to the transitional Somali > government is suspended until: > > A coherent and verifiable ceasefire is in place > between all parties > The transitional Somali government observes all > applicable international humanitarian laws > Immediate humanitarian access is a reality on the > ground and a multi-disciplinary assessment team is > deployed to see what has been going on. > > You can assist in pressuring the British government to > act upon this unfolding crisis - and help save the > lives of thousands of innocent Somalis - by writing to > your MP and urging them to intervene and raise > questions in Parliament, particularly on the use of UK > funds in ways that contravenes UK law. > > > > Thank you Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
