Mayor of Mogadishu appeals urgent humanitarian assist in order to save lives in IDPs camps

H.E. Abdirahman Omar Osman (Eng. Yarisow), the Mayor of Mogadishu & Governor of Benadir Region has launched an urgent appeal to save lives of Internally Displaced People (IDPS) in the capital city of Mogadishu who are facing the worst humanitarian crises as the rain season intensifies.

Mayor Yarisow said “The humanitarian needs deepen in the Benadir Region as the city faces unique challenges that need urgent attention. Over half million persons are displaced and basic essential packages shelter, food, health and sanitation are urgently needed. In recent months, we have seen a rise in number of newly displaced families arriving in Mogadishu due to conflicts in neighboring regions. Majority of these families have not been reached with any form of assistance and are facing heavy rains without basic protections.”

With an already over stretched aid mechanisms, the increase in need has placed greater pressure for districts such as Kaxda, Daynille, Dharkinley, Hodan, Gubedley and Garasbaley. Over 100,000 families are estimated to be without adequate shelter. The heavy rains have destroyed the makeshift shelter huts. Disease outbreaks are of a serious concern after heavy rainfall and poor sanitation. Water born illnesses such as Cholera, AWD and vector born illnesses such as Malaria are common and threaten already fragile and vulnerable groups. High rates of food insecurity persist in the region and further weaken the resilience of displaced communities. Elderly, woman, girls and young children are particularly vulnerable.

Mayor Yarisow stressed the importance of urgent assistance and said “Given the grim realities, it is imperative that efforts to mitigate and minimize human suffering be timely and effectively coordinated. After conducting a rapid assessment in IDP camps in the Benadir Region, we are urgently calling for an emergency humanitarian assistance as follows;

1. We call on international partners and all stakeholders to assist in the provision of emergency shelters.
2. We ask the partners to WASH clusters to closely work with the local authority and scale up services in above districts.

III. We ask partners in food security cluster to increase wet kitchens in above districts to reach more families in extreme food insecurities.

1. We call on all relevant government institutions to work closely with Benadir Regional Administration to improve conditions of displaced persons in the region.
2. We encourage civil society and Somali citizens to engage in outreach programs to assist thousands of other Somalis in need.”

The current humanitarian need will only exacerbate unless action is taken now. A lag in coordination will surely lead to devastating consequences. Resource alignment is critical to avert full-blown humanitarian crises as rain with flash floods in some camps continues. We advise all stakeholders and partners to make the current humanitarian need a priority to ensure we do not witness unnecessary human suffering and loss of life. BRA calls on international and local partners along with government counter parts to address urgent needs of more than 100,000 IDP households in the region.

BRA will convene an emergency humanitarian briefing with all stakeholders on April 30th, 0900-1200 at Mogadishu Municipality to address this critical humanitarian situation. Please confirm your attendance to.