HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
2006 Gu rains provided slight recovery options including improvement in calving and kidding for mainly camels and shoats leading to 5% increase of livestock holding and increased availability of milk (particularly areas with good rains), and improved livestock prices due to good body condition of livestock, however; 70,000 people (25,000, 25,000 and 20,000 persons for Sool, Sanaag and Togdheer regions respectively) face Acute Livelihood Crisis due to below normal rains in those areas. Cumulative livestock deaths of the previous drought years, continuing livestock ban, and increased prices of food items due significant increase of fuel prices are among many factors that contributed to this livelihood status. Due to poor availability of water and pasture, the livelihood of the pastoralists of Hawd livelihood zone (South of Hargeisa and Togdheer Regions) is highly stressed and in alert situation, which need close monitoring. More charcoal production and increased enclosure of pasturelands were reported in areas with less rains including Hawd areas (south of Hargeisa and Burao) and some parts of Golis Mountains in the north (Source: 2006 Post-Gu Assessment).
According to a report released in September by FSAU and UNICEF, from 9-19 July, FSAU, UNICEF, MOHL, SCRS and other partners carried out nutrition assessment in Hawd of Togdheer region with estimated population size of 38250 (WHO & UNICEF NIDs Figures verified by the survey) and indicated alert nutrition conditions of 9.9% and 0.7% for Global Acute Malnutrition and for Severe Acute Malnutrition respectively. Crude and under five mortality rates are reported to be 0.42 and 0.76 deaths/10,000/day respectively. Similar or even higher malnutrition figures (GAM of 11.4%) were reported for Hawd Livelihood Zone of Hargeisa in another assessment carried by the same actors later in this quarter. Malnutrition was found significantly associated with child communicable diseases such as Diarrhea and Measles. The area is drought-affected where many pastoralists have got their assets eroded.
FSAU in collaboration with UNICEF, MOHL, MOH, SRCS conducted a nutrition assessment in Sool Plateau of Sool and Sanag regions from August 22nd to 30th, 2006. This area has an estimated population of 45,845 (WHO/UNICEF August 2005 NID polio figures) In August/September. An alert nutrition situation with Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) of 9.0% and Acute Malnutrition (SAM) of 0.7% was reported showing improvements compared to the nutrition assessment of 2004, which reported GAM of 13.7%, a serious situation. Alert situation for both retrospective crude mortality rate (CMR) of 0.54 and under five mortality rate of 1.45 deaths/10,000/day respectively were reported although the same figures have shown improvement from 2004 situations due to general livelihood improvements associated with the 2005 Gu season. Malnutrition was found significantly associated (35.6%) with communicable childhood illnesses such as ARI, diarrhea, febrile illness and measles (Source: FSAU September 2006 Nutrition Update).
Integrated livelihood support, increased access to food and other complementary sectoral interventions (e.g. health, water and sanitation) and other asset rebuilding interventions such as restocking are among the recommended interventions for these communities. Targeted emergency support like food provision and nutrition-related interventions for destitute households may also address and alleviate suffering associated with the current destitution in such critical times.
The nutrition situation of IDPs in Burao and Berbera remain as high as 15.1% and 16.3% respectively according to last FSAU nutrition assessments (in October 05 and March 06 respectively) while the response (e.g. supplementary feeding) was considerably late. However, WFP and UNICEF are finally starting supplementary feeding in October.
Deyr rains (Oct-Nov) are expected in the coming quarter. The performance of such rains will mainly dictate the livelihood conditions for the local people in the long dry spell of Jilaal (Dec-February). With recurrent nature of droughts in this region and the chronic food insecurity suffered by local people (apart from those who are already in alert or acute livelihood crisis), contingency planning for any possible developments of emergencies with respect to basic sectors (water, health, food, education, etc.) is important at this junction of time.
Crop production was estimated below PWA1 (post war average) for most agro-pastoral areas (except in Gabiley district-west of Hargeisa) and lower than the crop production of 2005 by 35%. 75% of the expected harvest will be from Gabiley district, which will also be subject to the performance of the Karan rains (August-September) and other factors that affect crop harvest (FSAU led interagency assessment report).
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Assessments/Surveys
DRC carried out several needs assessment surveys for the returnees/IDPs and other vulnerable groups of host communities in Jamalaye, Bursade and B/sheik of Berbera town, Ayah B of Hargeisa, and Togwajale in the month of July 2006 (Needs Assessment Reports are available with DRC). These assessments cover thematic sectors of water, sanitation and income generation.
FAO/FSAU led interagency Post-Gu assessment was concluded in July 2006 with the participation of OCHA, WFP, UNICEF, HAVAYOCO, CANDLELIGHT, NERAD, Ministry of Livestock, Min. of Environment, and Min. of Water and other actors. The assessment covered all regions of Somaliland evaluating the performance of Gu rains and analyzing trends of humanitarian and livelihood situation in the country (Assessment report available with FSAU). FSAU has also carried out a nutrition assessment in drought-affected areas of Hawd livelihood zone (South of Hargeisa and Buroa-the assessment report available with FSAU).
UNHCR in collaboration with some LNGOs including CCBRS and Haqsoor is planning to carry out IDP profiling exercise for several IDP settlements for which there is considerable information gap including Stadium (Hargeisa), Ali Hussein, Aden Suleiman and 15 May (the last settlements are in Burao town). A methodology to carry out this profiling has been developed and it will be piloted in the above settlements in order to have a comprehensive IDP profile with focus on protection needs/priorities to assist effective and timely response. The LNGOs that are supposed to carry out this profiling exercise will be trained in advance of the exercise.
On 2nd August during a preparatory meeting for the CAP, representatives from MRR & R declared that there is an assessment throughout the country to determine the number of IDPs and number of IDP settlements. UNICEF supported such assessment, although agencies in the IDP working expressed their lack of participation. Nevertheless, MRRR have not yet presented any findings or disseminate any report regarding this assessment in the next IDP WG meetings.
IDPs
Several IDP Working Group meetings have been convened by UNOCHA and MRRR during this quarter with the participation of UN Agencies, I/LNGOs, MRRR, Municipality and other actors. Major issue of agreed points discussion included: -
1. Joint IDP profiling. Due to existence of significant information gap regarding IDPs in Somaliland, effective assistance for IDPs/returnees, urban poor and other vulnerable groups (e.g. minority groups) becomes difficult and hence there is need to profile IDPs with emphasis on protection needs. UNHCR in collaboration with IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) developed a new matrix (printable in A3 size) combining the already available information on IDPs/returnees/other vulnerable groups' settlements in Somaliland as tool to guide profiling of IDPs.
2. The Priority IDPs settlements for joint profiling to be Stadium in Hargeisa and three other settlements in Burao (Ali Hussein, Aden Suleiman, 15 May).
3. Joint Programming for Hargeisa IDPs as pilot project with the support of government line (sectoral) ministries, UN Agencies and NGOs. Formation of Joint Programming team is under process in order to develop a joint and inclusive programme for assisting IDPs with special focus on improving the current conditions and finding durable solutions including relocation of some IDP settlements.
4. Relocation will be part of the Joint Programme and part of general urban planning considering optimum reintegration options, livelihood support activities and access to basic services (Water, Health, Education etc). The priority for any relocation process will start with Stadium and Statehouse Settlements since this is the government priority. As was confirmed by MRRR, in July 2006, a presidential letter was circulated to MRRR and Hargeisa Municipality instructing these institutions to accelerate the relocation of these two IDP settlements.
5. MRRR also drafted an IDP policy, which was distributed to UN agencies and other humanitarian actors for exchanging comments and contributions on the subject matter. A Joint UN feedback on this draft is under process aiming to enrich its content and make more inclusive considering humanitarian principles and human rights laws.
Stadium and Statehouse are among the temporary IDP settlements with congested Buuls (small huts) made of pieces of clothes, empty food bags, traditional sheets made of grass, and pieces of old plastic sheets. These IDP settlements were temporary settlements for about 10 years. Despite the congestion and shelter problems, the residents of these IDP settlements live in very poor conditions with no sanitation facilities making more vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Infrastructure for basic services such as education, water and health could not be established for these settlements due to fact that these settlements are temporary. However, some agencies such as UNICEF, NRC and DRC have been working to address water, sanitation, and educations services for the residents of the Statehouse, one of the temporary IDP settlements.
Due to congestion and type of shelter, these types of IDP settlements are potential for fire outbreaks. For instance, on 17th August 2006, a fire outbreak in Statehouse IDP settlements affected 9 households (about 65 persons) with small huts destroyed, 3 of them severely. Other losses included destruction of food and utensils. UNHCR immediately supplied plastic sheets, blankets and utensils followed by WFP providing one-month ration (including cereals, pulses and oil) after joint assessment was carried out by UNHCR, UNOCHA and CCBRS (LNGO) and mobilizing the IDP Working Group. UNHCR in collaboration with UNHABITAT further helped reconstruction of the destroyed huts (buuls) of the most affected households.
Coordination
The JNA technical group with participation of the local authorities, UN agencies and NGOs concluded a consultative workshop for JNA in Hargeisa on 29th July 2006 at Maansoor Hotel attempting to put in place a 5-year plan (from 2007 to 2011) of Reconstruction and Development programme for Somaliland (for details, refer to JNA report).
UNOCHA organized CAP 2007 consultation workshop in Hargeisa at Ambassador Hotel on 6th of August 2006 with the participation of more than 56 representatives of the UN, INGOs, LNGOs, CBOs and government authorities. In this workshop, humanitarian activities of 2006 were reviewed and priorities of humanitarian responses for 2007 were agreed upon in order to facilitate CHAP (Common Humanitarian Action Plan) which is used for raising funds needed for humanitarian interventions in 2007. In preparation for CAP 2007, UN OCHA Hargeisa also organized 3 preparatory meetings before the main consultative workshops for the following thematic groups: -
1) Food Security/Economic Recovery/Infrastructures (1 August 2006)
2) Human Rights/Rule of Law/Protection/IDPs/Returnees (2 August 2006)
3) Education/Health/Water/Sanitation/Shelter (3 August 2006)
Each of the above thematic groups discussed the context, achievements, and constraints for the respective themes and priorities for 2007 were identified.
Most priority needs for 2007 is similar to that identified for CAP 2006. Lack of protection and access to basic services by vulnerable groups including IDPs, minority groups and asylum seekers, lack of response to SGBV which is in crease, poor prison conditions and lack of proper judiciary system for women and children are among the needs expressed. However, the need for recovery, reintegration and development interventions in agriculture, livestock, fishery, and other livelihood support projects such micro-financing, self-employment, vocational/skills training etc was emphasized since Somaliland is comparatively stable.
UN OCHA with the support of HRSU (Humanitarian Reform Support Unit) in Geneva conducted a workshop on humanitarian reform (Cluster Approach) in Hargeisa (at Maansoor Hotel) on 28th August with participation of 34 members of UN, INGOs, and LNGOs including UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, UNPOS, WHO, WFP, ILO, UNHABITAT, FAO, CARE International, DRC, NRC, PENHA, Action aid, Candlelight, Academy for peace and development, Forum for Peace and Governance, Heal, VOSOMWO, CCBRS, NAGAAD, SOMRAD, etc.
However, due to several other workshops and trainings that were going on at the same time some INGOs invited could not participate. Most participants highly appreciated the humanitarian reform (cluster approach) and urged for the implementation of such approach to improve coordination of humanitarian activities in Somaliland. Most staff members including the staff of UN agencies expressed that it is first time for them to hear about the humanitarian reform process and the related theories. Somaliland/Somalia is among the pilot countries in which humanitarian reform process is to take place.
UN OCHA Somaliland/Somalia in collaboration with other humanitarian actors is developing an advocacy strategy for Somaliland and Somalia. For a meeting organized for OCHA Somaliland/Somalia Advocacy officer, Mr. Hugo Karlsson, who is working on such advocacy strategy, about 15 persons from 10 agencies/organizations participated as per OCHA invitation.. Hugo Karlsson established contacts with different agencies/organizations and employees of these agencies/organizations and hence communication and exchange of ideas continued via e-mail regarding the development of advocacy strategy for Somaliland and Somalia (For any query on such advocacy strategy, one can contact Hugo Karlsson at karlsson@un.org )
Protection/Rule of Law
Protection needs for most vulnerable groups such as displaced people, minority groups/clans, Ethiopian refugees and/or asylum seekers, and urban poor are too many. Some of these groups routinely suffer discrimination and abuses despite other economic hardships they face (most of them depend on begging as the major source of income/livelihood) and hence any protection-related assistance should be focusing on those groups. For instance, children from these groups do not go to school due to child labor practice (children asked to go for begging, shoe shying, or work for other better off families as maidens, etc) and many girls from IDP households experience rape continually from members of the employers (members of employing families). Rape victims never go to police stations because they end up with stigma instead of assistance. Clans most of the time act as institutions that defend perpetrators so community mobilization is important to change attitudes.
Some of the successes achieved by the protection working group in Somaliland include the establishment of the Protection Monitoring Network and common methodology for IDP profiling and protection monitoring framework after several meetings and discussions both at country office level (in Nairobi) and at field level in Hargeisa as a part of inter-agency framework to collect and analyze protection-related information for the most vulnerable groups. Gaps have been identified including information gaps and capacity gaps. The next phase of PMN will start with the capacity building with the PMN members particularly for national actors (LNGOs and CBOs) and proceed with IDP profiling.
As part of the exercise, Birgitte Degnegard, from UNHCR Nairobi, who was on mission in Somaliland, met with protection-working group on 22nd July 2006 examining how best UN agencies, NGOs and community-based organizations can support community mobilization in IDP settlements to address key protection concerns and enable protection working group members to share experiences and examples of good practice, and to participate in the development of effective community mobilization tools which address the particular needs of IDP communities in Somaliland including GBV, HIV/AIDs, security, etc. The objective of this exercise was to identify practical ways to work with communities in identification of protection concerns/problems and how best to respond and address these issues.
Some of the suggestions of the participants included 1) The importance of working with the context, such as working host communities, CBOs, LNGOs, police, judges, local authorities, elders, and influential people 2) The need for IDP profiling since considerable information gaps exist. 3) Putting clear roles and responsibilities of different actors that work in protection sector to ensure coherence and complementary role of different activities in order to ensure that gaps are filled and overlaps do not occur. 3) Building the capacity of different actors. (CBOS, LNGOs, Women groups, concerned line ministries, etc.). 4) Developing integrated interventions, which strategically improve livelihoods of IDPs in addition to provision of basic services and 5) advocating for the rights of minority groups and other vulnerable/displaced people.
UNHCR Protection officer, Ms Vicky Tennant, approached the ministry of justice of Somaliland in order to discuss with them the incident that occurred on 3rd August 2006 when a police officer attempted to arrest OCHA staff including one international while interviewing IDPs and individuals from minority groups. The policeman threatened the UN staff and the IDPs. A letter of complaint in this regard was submitted to the Ministry of Justice. Somaliland police officers were also reported tracing the IDPs with their names afterwards and not have also in good terms with LNGOs that work with people displaced from South and Central Somalia and minority groups in the country. All these can create negative implications for accessing IDPs with the assistance they need and violations of their rights to be assisted.
UNHCR with the support of Danish Refugee Consortium (DRC) has launched a Small Grant Fund for partners to support a population tracking initiative. With the support of UNHCR and UNDP ROLs, the Legal Clinic for IDPs within the Faculty of Law of University of Law, has been providing assistance to displaced peoples and other vulnerable groups like minority groups in accessing to legal services. Hargeisa Legal Clinic are to focus on the advocacy for the rights of the vulnerable groups and assist victims of HR violations from these groups to access legal services. However, the outreach of Legal Clinic needs to improve since those who need the services provided by this clinic do not know about the existence of this legal service provider. UNDP ROLS-conducted different trainings related to protection and rule of law in the last few months aimed at uplifting the skills of judiciary personnel of Somaliland to address the problem of HR violations and proper investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. Such trainings include 1) two-month capacity building course for 48 judiciary officials (judges, prosecutors, and advocates) of Somaliland government which started on 29th July 2006 2) training for 25 police officers (some of them women) and CIDs (Criminal Investigation Department) on proper investigation procedures of crimes related to women and children (such training was conducted by specialist from Scotland Yards from Britain) in order to support the recently established women and child desks and justice system of Somaliland in general and finally 3) training on Juvenile Justice System for Justice officers for Burao, Hargeisa and Borama.
DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration).
According to UNDP Somalia Quarterly Update - Jul 2006, more than 1500 weapons were registered in Burao and over 1,000 in Gabiley following the success of the pilot `Civilian Weapons Registration' project in Burao and Gabiley in Somaliland in late 2005. The exercise was extended to Hargeisa at the beginning of March 2006 and awareness-raising workshops were held in Hargeisa in July 2006, and the registration drive will begin in August 2006.
Gender
According to the Minister and General Director (DG) of the Ministry of Family Affairs and Social Development, this ministry is developing a National Gender Policy with the support of CARE International. The draft is expected within 4 months from July. A consultant was hired to make the first draft. According to the Minister and the DG, FGM will be given a major attention in this policy. The draft will be finally enacted by the parliament since Somaliland has no gender policy so far.
Food Security and livelihood support.
Activities to support livelihoods of the vulnerable groups such as returnees, IDPs, and drought-affected pastoralists, etc. throughout the country include agricultural inputs (tools, seeds, animal traction, etc.), agricultural trainings, soil conservation, rangeland management, holistic resource management trainings, restocking and food for assets in different regions of the country by several agencies and organizations such as PENHA, Candlelight, HAVOYOCO, FAO, VETAID, DRC, and WFP.
PENHA, with the financial support of OCHA-managed HRF, has restocked 717 drought-induced destitute households in 26 villages of Erigavo district of Sanaag region. The restocking scheme was intended to alleviate suffering and improve livelihood conditions of these vulnerable households that lost their assets due to consecutive droughts that affected the region.
UNDP RRIDP is planning to carry out integretrated interventions for IDPs and other vulnerable groups based on assessment on livelihood-integrated projects that was done earlier by UNDP RRIDP. Some of immediate activities for IDPs and other vulnerable groups will include revolving fund project in which certain vulnerable households will have cash loan to boost their income generation activities. Somaliland Assistance Bulletin July-September 2006 6 This monthly bulletin is compiled by UNOCHA in collaboration with humanitarian actors operating in Somaliland. For further information, inputs or comments please contact husseinali@un.org, abdulkarim.ali@undp.org. All references to Somaliland pertain to the self-declared but unrecognized Republic of Somaliland.
UNICEF is planning to start drought interventions in Hawd livelihood zone where integrated activities (education, water, sanitation, health, etc.) will be carried out. Hawd livelihood zone lies south of Hargeisa in Hargeisa region and south of Buroa of Togdheer region where majority of the people are pastoralists. In these areas alert nutrition situation was reported recently (FSAU/UNICEF nutrition assessment report) caused by failures of rains in the recent rainy seasons leading to food insecurity and difficulties in recovery options.
Health
Through a workshop organized by WHO in Hargeisa on 20th September 2006, Health Cluster was officially started in Hargeisa. 20 participants from UN agencies (UNOCHA, UNICEF, WHO), INGOs (WVI, CARE International,) LNGOs (HAVOYOCO, Candlelight, Doses of Hope, and others) and Ministry of Health participated this workshop. There was a general limited and/or lack of understanding of the humanitarian reform for most participants since it was the first time for them to hear about it. After some presentations on basic concepts and importance of cluster approach in humanitarian reform process, the health cluster was officially announced and the following action points were agreed upon: -
* Cluster member organizations to submit projects based on the CAP 2007 priorities before the deadline which on 29th September. Health projects for IDPs, urban poor and other vulnerable groups were emphasized to be more likely to get funds in Somaliland context.
* Development of contingency plan for Bird Flu (Avian Flu) for Somaliland was recommended. To develop this contingency plan, WHO offered to share the cluster members the bird/avian flu Contingency Plan of Kenyan Government with cluster members. It was noted that any existing contingency plan was related with droughts and hence there is a need for developing a contingency plan for possible emergency of bird flu in Somaliland. Bird flu was reported in the neighboring countries (Ethiopia and Djibouti) in this year.
The global designated lead for health is WHO as per the humanitarian reform process and hence during the meeting, it was agreed this global lead agency to remain the lead agency in Somaliland as well but co-chairs will be selected from cluster members for achieving better responsibilities, accountabilities and coordination in health sector of Somaliland. The next meeting for the cluster will be convened on 29th October 2006.
WHO in collaboration with UNICEF, and Ministry Of Health and Labor (MOHL) carried out polio vaccination campaign throughout Somaliland in early September 2006 following reports of polio cases in Somalia and Somaliland (Sool region) in this year. The campaign went well in all parts of the country.
IN August 2006, UNICEF helped set up delivery services at six maternal and child health (MCH) centers in Burao town of Somaliland. Thirty staff of the health centers were trained and delivery kits given to the centers. A total 3,575 children aged less than five years were immunized in Hargeisa. Another 12,000 children of similar age were provided with Vitamin A supplements and 3,000 women with iron-cum-folic acid supplementation for the control and prevention of anaemia (Source: UNICEF Monthly Review Aug 2006).
Water and Sanitation
UNICEF started implementation of sanitation project in which 150 HHS in Dami B are expected to have village latrines through Ubax Social and Welfare Organization (LNGO). After completing wire mesh fencing, water and sanitation project (setting up water supply system-water kiosk and tank, 3 latrines, etc) for Dami B school, UNICEF plans also to increase classroom tents from 2 to 4 for the same school due to reported overcrowd. NRC in collaboration with UNICEF runs emergency education (alternative approach to basic education) for this school, which attracted many children from minority clans, displaced communities from South and Central and other destitute households in the area.
Being of the poorest quarters in Hargeisa, Dami B is located in the northeast part of Hargeisa and is mainly inhabited by minority groups and IDPs from the south and central Somalia. Residents in the area live small huts congested in small space with no sanitation facilities. In addition, due to their status of being from minority clans and from South and Central Somalia they face discrimination due lack of clan protection and hence have got higher protection needs and need attention.
HEAL (LNGO) with support of UNICEF is conducting 5 days training for 30 persons including elders, women and youth groups from Minority groups and IDPs of Dami Settlement on hygiene and sanitation. After this training, 10 persons who are literate will be specifically trained in separate to carry out hygiene and sanitation awareness rising in this IDP/Minority group settlement. Somaliland Assistance Bulletin July-September 2006 7 This monthly bulletin is compiled by UNOCHA in collaboration with humanitarian actors operating in Somaliland.
UNICEF is also implementing latrine construction project in Dami and Statehouse. Already 100 slabs have been provided to 100 HHs in Statehouse. 600 more will be provided in the coming months in Statehouse alone.
UNICEF is currently extending water supply system of Berbera town to Jamalaye IDP settlement. 2 water kiosks, 1 water tank and pipeline system will be involved in this project. Sanitation component of this project covers the construction of school latrines.
UN FAO s officially inaugurated a new office in Hargeisa in early August 2006 consisting of FAO/SWALIM, and FAO/FSAU. The later has been a key actor in food security assessment and early warning while FAO/SWALIM is new. FAO/SWALIM will assist humanitarian and development actors in the country in accessing to water and land information products through a reference library and digital means. FAO SWALIM also aims at improving its services to clients including the development of regional water and land datasets and the capacity of the relevant government instititutions. During the inauguration ceremony, several humanitarian/development actors and government ministers including the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock appreciated the added value of FAO/SWALIM for Somaliland and improved presence of FAO in Somaliland.
Education
On 12th September 2006, Save the Children Alliance in collaboration with Ministry of Education and other partners conducted the "Rewrite the Future-Education for Children in Conflict-Affected Countries" campaign in Hargeisa as part of the global campaign in over 40 countries worldwide. It is a campaign targeting 3 million more out-of-school children into school and to improve the quality of education for a total of 8 million children by 2010-5million of this number are in school now. However, how many children in Somaliland will benefit from this campaign will be decided through the country programme, which is under process (Source: Save the Children Alliance). Among Rewrite the Future's international supporters the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Jan Egeland. Save The Children advocates for Education of children to be part of all humanitarian responses.
NRC in collaboration with UNICEF and WFP implements emergency education programmes (Alternative Approach to Basic Educations-AABE) in IDP settlements and areas with most vulnerable groups including minority groups. The programme targets the school age but out-of-school children of the most vulnerable households in IDP/returnee settlements. Such places include StateHouse, Dami, Sheik Nur, Mohamed Moge and Ayah settlements in Hargeisa, Kosar in Burao town and Harirad in Awdal region. Teachers trained with the curriculum of AABE system will be part of the teaching force in the long run and many of the students of this programme will be transferred to formal education system after two years of intensive courses for basic education (1 year in AABE to be equivalent to two years in formal education).
Amoud University (Borama), University of Burao, University of Hargeisa, and the Civil Service Institute (Hargeisa) are among many other institutions, in Puntland and Southern Somalia, that will benefit from donation of US$200,000 worth of books (about 10,000 books-predominantly post-1990 publications covering the disciplines of business, computer science, humanities (history and social sciences), nursing, law, biology, mathematics, physics, chemistry, education, medicine and engineering) and 28 personal computers donated by four Western Australian universities (University of Western Australia, Murdock University, Notre Dame University and Edith Cowan University) with UNDP support to transport these Books to Berbera port. As agreed in advance, University of Hargeisa received the shipment and is responsible for onward distribution to the other institutions. The shipment also includes some hospital supplies for Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa donated by Australian Doctors for Africa, who had recently visited the hospital. UNDP and Curtin Business School (CBS) mobilized these resources due to dire need of education materials for Somaliland and Somalia.
Hargeisa and Amoud Universities were already benefiting the online distance-learning project sponsored by the UNDP under the World Bank LICUS initiative with the technical support by AVU (African Virtual Universities).
HUMANITARIAN ACCESS
Somaliland has been peaceful and calm during this quarter with improved security phase from phase 4 to phase 3 for Hargeisa, Awdal and most parts of Sahil Region. However some reported tensions in Buhodle area of Togdheer region were contained after Ade Muse, the president of Puntland cancelled his initial attempt to pay official visit to this district town due to the tension renewed from Somaliland side. However, access to disputed areas of Sool and eastern Sanaag region is not yet easy for humanitarian agencies
NOTES
1 PWA is from 1998 to 2005 Somaliland Assistance Bulletin July-September 2006
2 This monthly bulletin is compiled by UNOCHA in collaboration with humanitarian actors operating in Somaliland. For further information, inputs or comments please contact husseinali@un.org, abdulkarim.ali@undp.org. All references to Somaliland pertain to the self-declared but unrecognized Republic of Somaliland.