Somalia: Famine looms in Somalia, but many ‘hunger hotspots’ are in deep trouble (21.09.2022)

The number of people facing life-threatening levels of hunger worldwide without immediate humanitarian aid, is expected to rise steeply in coming weeks, the UN said on Wednesday, in a new alert about looming famine in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 21, 2022 – In Somalia, “hundreds of thousands are already facing starvation today with staggering levels of malnutrition expected among children under five,” warned the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).“Large-scale deaths from hunger” are increasingly likely in the east African nation, the UN agencies continued, noting that unless “adequate” help arrives, analysts expect that by December, “as many as four children or two adults per 10,000 people, will die every day”.

Complex roots

In addition to the emergency already unfolding in Somalia, the UN agencies flagged 18 more deeply concerning “hunger hotspots”, whose problems have been created by conflict, drought, economic uncertainty, the COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Humanitarians are particularly worried for Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen, where a record 970,000 people “are expected to face catastrophic hunger and are starving or projected to starve or at risk of deterioration to catastrophic conditions, if no action is taken”, the UN agencies said.

This is 10 times more than six years ago, when only two countries had populations as badly food insecure, FAO and WFP noted, in a new report.

Urgent humanitarian action is needed and at scale in all of these at-risk countries “to save lives and livelihoods” and prevent famine, the UN agencies insisted.

Harsh winter harvest

According to FAO and WFP, acute food insecurity around the world will worsen from October to January.

In addition to Somalia, they highlighted that the problem was also dire in the wider Horn of Africa, where the longest drought in over 40 years is forecast to continue, pushing people “to the brink of starvation”.

Successive failed rains have destroyed people’s crops and killed their livestock “on which their survival depends”, said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, who warned that “people in the poorest countries” were most at risk from acute food security that was “rising fast and spreading across the world”.

FAO’s QU calls for massive aid scale-up

Vulnerable communities “have yet to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are suffering from the ripple effects of ongoing conflicts, in terms of prices, food and fertilizer supplies, as well as the climate emergency,” the FAO chief continued.

He insisted that “without a massively scaled-up humanitarian response” to sustain agriculture, “the situation will likely worsen in many countries in the coming months”.

Echoing that message, WFP Executive Director David Beasley appealed for immediate action to prevent people dying.

“We urgently need to get help to those in grave danger of starvation in Somalia and the world’s other hunger hotspots,” he said.

Perfect storm of problems

“This is the third time in 10 years that Somalia has been threatened with a devastating famine,” Mr. Beasley continued.

“The famine in 2011 was caused by two consecutive failed rainy seasons as well as conflict. Today we’re staring at a perfect storm: a likely fifth consecutive failed rainy season that will see drought lasting well into 2023.”

In addition to soaring food prices, those most at risk from acute food insecurity also have “severely limited opportunities” to earn a living because of the pandemic, the WFP chief explained, as relief teams brace for famine in the Somali districts of Baidoa and Burhakaba in Bay region, come October.

Below the “highest alert” countries – identified as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen – the joint FAO-WFP report notes that the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kenya, the Sahel, the Sudan and Syria are “of very high concern”, in addition to newcomers the Central African Republic and Pakistan.

Guatemala, Honduras and Malawi have also been added to the list of hunger hotspot countries, joining Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Barriers to aid

Humanitarian assistance is crucial to save lives and prevent starvation, death and the total collapse of livelihoods, FAO and WFP insist, while highlighting chronic access problems caused by “insecurity, administrative and bureaucratic impediments, movement restrictions and physical barriers” in 11 of the 19 hotspot countries.

This includes “all six of the countries where populations are facing or are projected to face starvation…or are at risk of deterioration towards catastrophic conditions”, they said.

Republique Centrafricaine: Yaounde Declaration on Solutions in the context of Forced Displacement related to the Central African Republic Crisis (27.04.2022)

United Nations Security Council press statement on the Central African Republic (06.06.2018)

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms all attacks, provocations and incitement to violence against Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en Centrafrique (MINUSCA) by armed groups and other perpetrators.

KAMPALA, Uganda, June 6, 2018 – Security Council Press Statement on Attack against Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic:

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack on 3 June 2018 by armed elements against a patrol of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in the village of Dilapoko (prefecture of Mambere-Kadei) in the west of the Central African Republic, which resulted in one Tanzanian peacekeeper killed and 7 others injured.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the peacekeeper killed, and to those of the peacekeepers injured, as well as to Tanzania and to MINUSCA. They wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms all attacks, provocations and incitement to violence against MINUSCA by armed groups and other perpetrators.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law.  They called on the Government of the Central African Republic to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their full support for MINUSCA and expressed their deep appreciation to MINUSCA’s troop- and police-contributing countries.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their strong support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central African Republic, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, and for MINUSCA to assist the Central African Republic authorities and the people of the Central African Republic in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2387 (2017).

Central African Republic crisis ‘breaks my heart’ says senior UN aid official (29.05.2018)

The already serious humanitarian situation in Central African Republic (CAR) has worsened amid a spike in violence which threatens to overtake almost every area of the country, a top UN aid official said on Monday.

NEW YORK, United States of America, May 29, 2018 –  One in four people has been displaced, according to Najat Rochdi, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for CAR, who said that this included areas that were formerly peaceful, such as the north and central zones.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Ms. Rochdi warned that severe acute malnutrition in six administrative regions is higher than 15 per cent – the emergency threshold – and infant mortality is at 18 per cent.

And amid severe funding shortages which have meant aid cut-backs, she told journalists in French: “It breaks my heart every time a child comes to me and says I’m hungry.”

Speaking later in English, she said: “Where you have kids, those little girls and little boys coming to you and looking at you and telling, ‘I’m hungry, I’m starving,’ it’s horrible, really horrible. Unfortunately the situation has worsened because we had in one year’s time an increase of 70 per cent of the internally displaced people. Meaning more children, more little girls and more little boys, meaning also that it’s a whole generation that is sacrificed because they are not going to school.”

She said it was very important to keep providing them with humanitarian assistance, which meant going beyond food distribution, beyond the access to water, beyond the access to health. “It’s just access to hope.”

Of the more than $515 million aid requirement needed in CAR for 1.9 million people, less than 20 per cent has been provided so far this year.

Fighting between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the mainly Muslim Séléka rebel coalition has plunged the CAR into civil conflict since 2012. A peace agreement was reached in January 2013, but rebels seized the capital, Bangui, in March of that year, forcing President François Bozizé to flee.

Concerned with the security, humanitarian, human rights and political crisis in the CAR and its regional implications, the Security Council authorized the deployment of a UN stabilization mission, known by its French acronym, MINUSCA, in 2014 with the protection of civilians as its utmost priority.

The humanitarian community distributed high-energy biscuits to 1,500 children and debilitated adults who suffered from starvation and thirst for more than 72 hours during an outbreak of violence in Mbomou Prefecture, Central African Republic in May 2017.

The country’s huge natural wealth – in the form of diamonds, gold and uranium – continues to fuel the fighting, Ms. Rochdi explained, adding that there was “absolutely no problem” in areas “where you don’t have that much to steal.”

The violence reached the capital, Bangui, at the beginning of the month after almost a year of relative stability.

In that incident, 70 people were killed in clashes between security forces and armed militia, and thousands were displaced.

Ms. Rochdi said that UN troops had to intervene after Muslims were denied healthcare access.

The town of Bambari has also seen armed groups return, despite becoming a “safe haven for all communities” since last year, the UN official added.

The militia aimed to put pressure on the government to grant them an amnesty but this would be a “disaster” for the country, Ms. Rochdi insisted, before adding that efforts to prevent impunity had been stepped up and had resulted in a Special Criminal Court, which is due to start work in CAR next week.

Some of its “first clients” would be “high-profile leaders of armed groups,” Ms. Rochdi said, adding that CAR was one of the most dangerous places on earth for humanitarians, with six people killed this year and attacks on aid workers and looting happening on a “regular” basis.

Yet despite the instability and fact that funding levels in 2017 were only 40 per cent of what was requested, she maintained that it still made a substantial difference on the ground and had helped to prepare communities to withstand future shocks too.

It meant that more than one million people had access to water, that 7,000 tonnes of humanitarian assistance were delivered and more than 60,000 children were given an education.

In addition, the aid ensured that more than 70,000 farming families received a vital seed allocation, helping them to become more self-sufficient.

More than 17,000 children from six to 59 months suffering from severe acute malnutrition were also given support.

The most important thing was that the people of CAR had some sense that they had a future, Mrs Rochdi said, adding that humanitarian assistance “is making the difference between life and death”.

Aid is also “the best way for all of us to sustain peace in CAR”, she added, since the funding gave communities hope.

Joint Communiqué of the African Union and the United Nations on the Peace Process and the Situation in Bangui (12.04.2018)

BANGUI, Central African Republic, April 12, 2018 –

Joint Communiqué of the African Union and the United Nations on the Peace Process and the Situation in Bangui:

We, representatives of the African Union and the United Nations, decided to undertake a joint visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) to express our solidarity and full support to the Central African people and for the peace process in the Central African Republic. We also share a message of complete unity and common resolve of the African Union and the United Nations.

We are pleased in this regard that our visit coincides with the first meeting in Bangui of the International Support Group for CAR since the country’s return to constitutional order. During our visit, we will have the opportunity to talk with the Central African authorities, and have also held talks with President Touadéra.

Having arrived yesterday, we are also concerned about persistent tensions in the PK5 neighbourhood of Bangui. The operations conducted by the Government and MINUSCA on 8 April were aimed at putting an end to the activities of criminal elements that endanger the lives of peaceful citizens, in a neighbourhood that is also the economic hub of Bangui.

In these difficult times, we wish to express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and we deplore the many wounded, to whom we wish a speedy recovery.

Above all, we wish to emphasize that this operation to restore order and State authority has the sole purpose to protect the people who seek our protection against the criminal elements who oppress them. We want to make it clear that we are determined to act to protect the entire population, across the country.

We strongly deplore and condemn the attempts to instrumentalise this operation, as well as the attacks perpetrated against peacekeepers, about 20 of whom have been wounded, and one who succumbed to his wounds.

We would like to remind you that any attack against peacekeepers is a war crime. Their authors and those who support them will certainly have to answer for their crimes in court.

We also wish to express that an offer of a peaceful settlement had previously been made to the targeted groups, who rejected it.

Finally, we wish to emphasize that, in close coordination with the Government of the Central African Republic, we are ready to use all means available to the international community to create conditions for the restoration of peace in CAR. Among these means, dialogue will be our first action followed by, if necessary, the use of force.

Our joint presence here, in collaboration with the Central African Government, is intended to reaffirm our unambiguous commitment to the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in CAR, which, as the United Nations Security Council has stated, represents the only way forward to exit from crisis.

To the people of Bangui, we also call for calm. We ask them not to be victim to rumours and manipulation. Your authorities are working hard with MINUSCA to restore public order and ensure the protection of all civilian populations, without distinction.

Signed,

Mr Smaïl Chergui
Peace and Security Commissioner of the African Union

Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

US: State Department plan shelving Special Envoys to the Great Lakes, South Sudan and Sudan!

The Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, as part of the Trump Administration has clearly been working hard. Since the revamp of the Department of State, the Secretary has letter explaining cuts in the Department to the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations at the United States Congress, Bob Corker. The United States government has clearly shifted their foreign policy and care for former allies. Their engagement are moving, but not as ready-made policy!

Tillerson wrote in his letter about this shift in African diplomacy or foreign relations:

“The titles for following positions will be removed and the functions and staff assumed by the Bureau of African Affairs (AF):

U.S. Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa & Democratic Republic of Congo. The Special Envoy position currently is organized in AF, however the authorized staff positions and associated funding are currently in the Office of the Secretary and will be reprogrammed to AF. This will involve realigning 4 positions and $957,000 in support costs within D&CP from the Office of the Secretary to the Bureau of African Affairs (AF).

U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan. This will involve realigning 6 positions and $4,408,000 in support costs within D&CP from the Office of the Secretary to the Bureau of African Affairs (AF). We intend to request that Congress repeal the statutory provision for this special envoy position, since a deputy assistant secretary in AF already fulfills the responsibilities” (Rex Tillerson to Bob Corker on ‘Special Envoys and Special Representatives’).

So the Department of State will remove the Special Envoys to the Great Lakes and Democratic Republic Congo, also to the Sudan and South Sudan. These are all nations where the United States has been involved and been important part of the development. Their sanctions and acts within these republics has been vital. That is why the opposition in the DRC has asked for stronger sanctions and travel bans on the Kabila government.

The others are the South Sudan, where the US are parts of the Troika, who is also major donors to the South Sudanese government. The newly independent republic, that got massive help from the Americans for their independence from Khartoum and Sudan. The Sudan has also been important for the Americans as they have tried to solve the crisis in Darfur and it has also worked well with them for their oil. The reasons for why usually the Americans has involved itself in foreign countries.

The US now clearly doesn’t see the value in Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the other countries of Great Lakes. These are now undervalued, as the Special Envoys and their functions are now moved to others. The African Affairs staff gets more functions, as the Special Envoys will not create relationship it used to have.

The Envoy will have the same close work with Burundi, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan. All of these Republic will not be represented in a fashion that the United States has done before. This proves that the American government doesn’t care about the state of affairs or wanting to engage in the conflicts, the internal problems and the totalitarian governments. The US neglects its place and purpose in these republics.

So when the United States comes to the crisis in South Sudan and other places. They will not have the same connections or understanding of the republics. This will second-sourced information, instead of getting it directly.

The United States are downgrading their diplomatic leadership to all these nations, as the Special Envoys will be shelved by the force of the State Department. The Americans are clearly not caring or bothered by the conflict, the refugee crisis or the oppressive behavior against opposition. The United States are now distant and not engaged there. They will be far away and only there when it fits their interests. Peace.

UPDF Disengages from the Central African Republic (19.04.2017)

Note to Correspondents on the investigations into allegations ‎of sexual exploitation and abuse against peacekeepers deployed in the Central African Republic (05.12.2016)

The Office of Internal Oversight Services has concluded its investigative process on the allegations ‎of sexual exploitation and abuse against Burundian and Gabonese contingents deployed in Dekoa, Kemo prefecture, in the Central African Republic. 

These allegations referred to incidents between 2014 and 2015. OIOS has conducted joint investigations with Burundian and Gabonese national investigative officers. Investigations started in April 2016, a few days after the allegations were brought to the attention of the United Nations and lasted for more than four months. The investigators relied primarily on the testimony of possible victims and witnesses given the lack of medical, forensic or any other physical evidence. This was due to the fact that the majority of the allegations referred to incidents that took place a year or more earlier. Everyone who came forward with claims, both minors and adults, were assisted by national and international partners.

Overall, 139 possible victims were interviewed and their accounts were investigated. By means of photo array and/or other corroborating evidence a total of 41 alleged perpetrators (16 from Gabon and 25 from Burundi) were identified by 45 interviewees; eight persons were unable to identify perpetrators through photo array or other corroborating evidence but were able to describe some distinctive traits; 83 were not able to identify perpetrators or provide corroborating evidence; and three accounts were considered unreliable. A total of 25 minors asserted they had been sexually abused. A total of eight paternity claims were filed, including by six minors.

The United Nations has shared the OIOS report with both Member States, including the names of the identified alleged perpetrators and has requested for appropriate judicial actions to ensure criminal accountability.

Responsibility for further investigations lies with Burundi and Gabon. The United Nations has requested from the Burundian and Gabonese authorities that they review the OIOS findings and conduct the interviews of the alleged perpetrators who had all been rotated out from Central African Republic before the allegations surfaced. The United Nations has asked for a copy of the final national investigation reports to be transmitted urgently.
‎
The alleged perpetrators, if allegations against them are substantiated, and, if warranted, their commanding officers, will not be accepted again for deployment in peacekeeping operations.

MINUSCA has strengthened its prevention measures and reinforced its outreach among communities and peacekeepers across the country, especially in high-risk areas to improve awareness and reporting on sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of misconduct. The Mission is also regularly monitoring conditions and behaviour of mission’s personnel and has partnered with United Nations agencies and implementing partners in Central African Republic that provide psychosocial, medical and legal assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

The United Nations condemns, in the strongest terms, all acts of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by peacekeepers or any other UN personnel and will maintain follow up so that perpetrators of these abhorrent acts are brought to justice.

Burundi: MINUSCA Rotation Flights details for the Burundian Infantary (28.11.2016)

Mitt brev til Minister Sylvi Listhaug, ta deg en charter-ferie til Kandahar!

Kjære Sylvi Listhaug…

Du lager det ikke lett for deg selv, med denne populismen, feminismen og altetende-ismene som er der ute.

At en kan kritisere FrPere er fy-fy, bare se på kommentar-feltene i de største avisene. Der alle angrep på alle andre blir verifisert og godkjent, mens de andre skal godta at slike som Nesheim, Tybring-Gjedde og Njåstad. De kan karikere andre mennesker og det kan også du Listhaug, men om vi karikere dere og beskriver deres fremtoning så er vi automatisk: eliten, sosialister, feminister, neo-liberale skjærer osv.

Vi har rett til å kritisere deg Listhaug og det bør også dine tilhengere forstå, fordi de kritisere alle som ikke tenker likt med dem og viser null-toleranse for andre dem selv. Det er sikkert fordi selv ser selv igjen i ditt speilbilde i offentligheten. Der du sprader perfekt rundt. Prater fagre ord og legger ut brutale innlegg på egen blogg og på facebook for å likes. Det er så vakkert og så engasjerende!

De nidkjære i det hele er de tanker og de komplekse situasjoner du prøver å vinne gunst blant dine egne, fru Listhaug. Der du viser til at det er bra at mindreårige asylsøkere som har levde kanskje flere år i riket, blir nå endelig tatt fra hus og hjem i mulm og mørke for å bli deportert til Afghanistan. Shang-ri-la av Østen: hvor alle reiser på Charter-ferie, spesielt til byen Kandahar og Qalad. Du burde kanskje reise dit og vise hvor trygt det er med skuddsikkervest, svær tanks og sammen med blå-hjelmede fredsbevarende styrker? Hadde ikke det vært fint, litt som når du hoppet ut i ostepopp-kostymet i Middelhavet tidligere i år. Du hadde kanskje endte på John Oliver på HBO igjen!

Jeg vet at du kunne tenkte deg en charterferie til Afghanistan, i varmen og ly mellom skudd og sult. Det hadde vært perfekt. Du hadde ikke hatt lyst til å flykte fra et land som har jevnlig vært invadert eller hatt intern borgerkrig siden 1970-tallet. Det er stabilt rike og nasjon, du kan ikke skjønne hvorfor folk flykter derifra. Du trodde de flyktet fordi de ikke fikk utdannelse eller jobbe i First-House for Rema 1000 som lobbyist. Ja, det skal ikke være lett.

Ja du Listhaug, i disse dager om ved mulighet så vil du sikkert også søke lykken med å være glad for å sende hjem mennesker som har flyktet fra Somalia, hvor Etiopiske styrker har trukket seg ut, to føderale stater har angrepet hverandre om territoriale landområder selv etter fredsforhandlinger i Abu Dhabi. Der Kenya har tatt visse landområder for sikkerhet for sine egne nasjonale grenser og hvor AMISOM okkuperer visse områder, men nasjonale hæren trenes av fredstyrker etter økonomisk tilskudd fra EU. Dette landet som har hatt intern konflikt siden Said Barre, også siden 1970-tallet må være ansett som trygt.

Vil ikke du reise på Charter-ferie til Mogadishu, slikke solen, se skudd-hullene over sengemalmen i det fallitte hotellet og tenke over om i dag er trygt å gå på markedet eller om jeg burde ta første rutefly til Nairobi. Det hadde vært så fint. Ellers så kunne du tatt lokal-transport til Kismaayo og diskutere chapati priser med Kenyanske tropper der. Eller reise i Galdumuug til Hobyo beach, midt i mellom konflikten til Galmudug og Puntland. Det må sette så spiss på ferien.

Listhaug, jeg kan ikke forstå hvordan du ville bruke små barn som har flyktet krigssoner som click-bait som måter for å få sympati for din sak. Som er at innvandrere ikke fortjener norsk sikkerhet eller bli boende i Norge. Fordi dette er bare for Nordmenn, som er som deg, Listhaug.

Så en liten del av meg ville gjerne startet et Crowdfunding prosjekt der en bruker de innsamlede midlene på gi deg en smak uten skuddsikkervest i Kandahar eller Qalad, der du ikke vil være sikker innen elite-hotellene i Kabul eller ved demilitariserte soner rundt hovedstaden, men istedenfor oppholde deg blant kvinneskoler og annet for å kanskje forstå hvorfor de er utrygt der. Fordi jeg tror ikke som sagt at dette er områder som frister deg like mye mentalt som weekend tur som London eller Praha. Akkurat som jeg tviler på at vår kjære minister ville ha tatt heisa-tur til Bangui for å sjekke temperaturen nær ekvator. Det er til det fredelige landet Sentral Afrikanske Republic (Central African Republic –C.A.R). Der kan du hilse på Lord Resistance Army (LRA) om du er heldig!

Så du så stolt, rakrygget og for å få politisk oppslutning vil du synke så lavt å sende tilbake barn og deres familier tilbake krigssoner, slik at du kan få populistiske stemmer til kommende valg. Du må være stolt og sprek, med lite frykt og spesielt lite empati for de skjebner du ødelegger for. For de mennesker du gjør til fiender og de mennesker du spiller politisk mynt på. Du Listhaug må ha skjønt så enormt konsekvensen av dine handlinger og ønsker. At du vil stå til ansvar og i skadefryd tjene politisk-kapital på disse asylsøkerne.

Så kjære deg, ta på deg ostepopp-kostymet, spill falitt med disse medmenneskene, “rigge” Møre- og Romsdals valgkrets slik at du blir første-kandidat, men ikke forvent at mennesker som meg har respekt for dine nedlatende og nedverdige opptreden. For så lenge man har fredsbevarende styrker, så lenge det er intern-konflikt og så lenge det er mennesker på flukt fra nasjonene, burde den Norske stat tenke seg to-ganger, kanskje tre før en sender tilbake mennesker og særskilt barn som er tredje-part til all konflikt som er skapt av oss voksne mennesker.

Det siste før jeg slutter, vil jeg ønske deg fin Charter-Ferie til Kandahar og gjerne ta bilde med den jevne soldat og kanskje også en selfie med den lokale stammeleder som har større våpen enn du har positivt budskap. Peace.