New York, 17 August 200 - According to a new analysis by the Food Security Analysis Unit for Somalia (FSAU), the Famine Early Warning Network, and other partners, the Shabelle regions in the south of Somalia are now in a state of humanitarian emergency. Out of the 1.5 million people in need of assistance in Somalia, about 300,000 are in Middle and Lower Shabelle regions. The 1.5 million also includes around 490,000 other vulnerable people in need of aid, an estimated 325,000 persons internally displaced since April 2007 and some 400,000 persons who have been internally displaced for a protracted period. Traditionally, the Shabelles are the most productive agricultural regions, but of late they have experienced disrupted trade and economic activities, a high and increasing concentration of displaced people fleeing Mogadishu, acute watery diarrhoea, and continuing and escalating insecurity.

In addition, due to continuing insecurity, an estimated 30,000 people have fled the capital since July. Most are former residents of the northern part of the city, where fighting between Ethiopian/Government troops and anti-government elements intensified over the past week. While the majority of those fleeing have gone to areas surrounding the city, some have moved to areas as far away as Baidoa, Marka and Wanle Weyne districts. In addition to those fleeing, 5,300 people have been evicted from their homes in government and public buildings between June and mid-August.

This deterioration comes at a time when insecurity in South Central Somalia has impeded access to people in need of humanitarian assistance. Moreover, there are as many as 238 roadblocks in the region, most of which impose “taxes” on humanitarian aid and which generally impede aid delivery.

In response to the worsening situation in the Shabelle regions and Mogadishu, agencies are establishing a stabilization centre for severely malnourished children in Jowhar and will start supplementary feeding for the malnourished in Afgoye district. Water trucking is also underway in settlements along the 30 kilometre road from Mogadishu to Afgoye, and water chlorination is also being undertaken. The World Food Programme (WFP) has also distributed food aid to over 78,000 displaced people in the Afgoye area.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Dizery Salim, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)