| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
R e l i e f W e b http://www.reliefweb.int Source: UN Department of Public Information (DPI) Date: 10 Dec 1998
United Nations agencies appeal for $ 65.7 million for humanitarian assistance for one million persons in Somalia
The United Nations today issued an appeal for $ 65.7 million to provide humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable groups in Somalia.
This appeal proposes actions to mitigate the current food crisis in central and southern Somalia affecting at least one million persons, more than 300,000 of whom are at very high risk.
During 1999, the appeal programme aims at increasing food security, ensuring that at least a minimum standard of basic health, nutrition, water and sanitation services will be available, and at facilitating refugee return and reintegration. In the first half of 1999, agencies will concentrate their efforts to prevent the current crisis in the south from developing into a major disaster as occurred in 1992 when over 200,000 Somalis died. Last month, the United Nations issued, in anticipation of the 1999 appeal, a donor alert to draw attention to the deteriorating situation and the looming threat of famine.
Based on a joint inter-agency analysis and projections for next year, priority issues are being addressed to achieve the overall goal of saving lives and providing a future to the population of Somalia - currently estimated at over six million - as described in the appeal's humanitarian action plan. At the same time, UN agencies and their partners also propose to work in areas of the country which are relatively peaceful and secure, in order to help such areas toward rehabilitation and recovery. For these activities, an additional $ 29.3 million will be required in 1999. Activities described in the appeal will be carried out by FAO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, OCHA, OHCHR, WFP, WHO, IOM, and their implementing partners.
A generous and timely response to this consolidated appeal will enable UN agencies and their partners to provide urgent assistance in food, health care, water and sanitation, and to take action to control the most severe impact of the unfolding crisis. In addition, the areas which have become peaceful will have a better chance to move to self-reliance, while hope, confidence and security can be restored as development-oriented activities are undertaken.
Copies of the appeal document may be requested from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) / Complex Emergency Response Branch, by e-mail on: erlinda.umali@dha.unicc.org. The document is also available on OCHA's website: http://www.reliefweb.int/.
[ENDS]
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 12:37:08 +0300 (EAT) From: IRIN - Central and Eastern Africa <irininfo@ocha.unon.org> Subject: SOMALIA: UN launches US $65.7 million appeal 1998.12.15
Editor: Ali B. Dinar, aadinar@sas.upenn.edu