Somalia Condition Feb 2011

• More than 400 schools countrywide have closed as a result of the drought, aff ecting nearly 55,000 pupils, since December 2010. This is due to: the movement of families, water sources drying up in schools and children leaving school to herd animals or in search for work to support their families. In addition, some teachers have also moved to urban areas in search of livelihoods.
  

• The second standard allocation of the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) allocated US$35 million for strategic drought response including food, water, health care, treatment of malnutrition and livelihoods support. An additional $5 million was earmarked for improving the living conditions of IDPs in Puntland and $5 million for common services. An additional $12 million was kept in the Emergency Reserve of the Fund.
  

• In February, the humanitarian community scaled-up response to the drought-aff ected populations countrywide. Some 17 wet feeding sites in Mogadishu are providing 85,180 meals daily, mostly to women and children. The Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster has been distributing supplies to disinfect contaminated water sources to prevent Acute Watery Diarrhoea outbreaks. To reduce high levels of malnutrition, the Nutrition Cluster has distributed some 30,000 bags of Corn-Soya Blend (CSB) in Bay, Bakool, Gedo and Juba regions.
  

• On 2 February, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Humanitarian Aff airs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ms. Valerie Amos, made her fi rst offi cial visit to Somalia. Ms. Amos saw fi rsthand the terrible cost of the ongoing confl ict excerbated by the drought. She also emphasized the need to prioritise the protection of civilians in the areas where fi ghting is taking place.
  

• In the last week of February, confl ict intensifi ed in Mogadishu while at the same time warring groups fought in Belet Xaawo in Gedo region and Belet Weyne in Hiraan region. During February, UNHCR estimates that nearly 24,000 displacements occurred countrywide due to fi ghting with nearly 6,000 displacements occuring in Mogadishu only. Main Developments

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