Somali Crisis

January 2012

Assisting the Somali population is a report that gives an overview of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) activities related to the humanitarian crisis in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya and Ethiopia, which have received large numbers of Somali refugees throughout 2011.

Somalia’s humanitarian crisis continues to be one of the worst in the world. Somalis are still facing the devastating effects of drought, compounding a long-lasting conflict and the absence of a functioning healthcare system.

Throughout 2011 and still ongoing, MSF has been running medical projects in up to 22 different locations in south-central Somalia, the epicentre of the crisis, as well as large-scale programs in camps for Somali refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya.

The data presented in the report, though being provisional, account for MSF’s medical activities and financial income and expenditures in this region, whereas the narrative sketches how MSF as a medical aid organization responded to this evolving crisis.

Download the report Assisting the Somali populations affected by the humanitarian crisis of 2011 [PDF, 813KB]

Uphill battle to fight cholera and measles outbreaks in Marere, Somalia

Updated: 13 September 2011

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is currently battling outbreaks of cholera and measles in and around the town of Marere in southern Somalia. Marere and the surrounding villages of Jilib, Keytoy and Osman Moto are host to around 5,000 displaced Somalis, who have fled conflict and drought elsewhere in the country. However, just like in all other places where it is active in Somalia, the organization finds itself limited in its intervention methods and freedom to operate, and fighting the outbreaks is proving to be an uphill battle.

Hundreds of thousands of Somalis have been on the move within the country and across borders, fleeing the humanitarian crisis that started earlier this year. Civil war, violence, lack of development, lack of relief assistance, and the current drought have made these people extremely weak, and malnutrition and opportunistic infections are rife. Cholera and measles are typical opportunistic diseases that occur in places where people gather who are weakened and malnourished, whose immune systems are low, where clean drinking water is scarce and sanitary conditions insufficient.

“Since the outbreak of the measles epidemic among the displaced people, we managed to treat over 150 cases,” said Silvia Colona, MSF project coordinator for Marere. “Ideally we would do mass vaccination of all children in these villages. That is the only way we know to stop an epidemic among vulnerable people. Until now, this has not happened; if the authorities grant us the possibility to do mass vaccinations amongst the children in the affected locations, we can prevent an epidemic and many unnecessary deaths.”

MSF also set up a cholera-treatment centre in the hospital that the organization has been running for eight years in Marere. MSF is opening a cholera treatment unit and a measles treatment centre close to the displaced people’s camp at Jilib to respond to the increase in the number of cases. Over the past few weeks, more than 80 cases of cholera have been treated, an alarming number. Cholera being highly infectious, patients have to be kept in isolation. MSF is also preventing further infections through hygiene promotion and chlorination of water wells.

This week, MSF also distributed relief items to displaced people in Jilib. Blankets, buckets and cooking pots were handed out to over 1,600 households that are lacking the most essential items.

In order to continue aiding the Somalia crisis, MSF needs the support of donations to carry out our medical humanitarian work. Please help MSF aid this crisis in Somalia.

A list of MSF Activities within Somalia

• In Hodan, Mogadishu South, the intensive therapeutic feeding centre (ITFC) is still running and has so far helped 162 patients
• In Darkheley, Mogadishu South, MSF is running an OPD (361 consultations this past week), and a nutritional programme (54 children currently in the ATFC); the OPD has possibility to develop ITFC capacity.
• In Wadajir, Mogadishu South, a new health centre opened in August. So far, 3,740 children between the ages of 6 months  and 15 years old have been vaccinated against measles.
• In Marere, the team has scaled up the capacity of the ITFC which is now able to accommodate 200 children.  The ATFC has started to admit children up to eight years. Screening of pregnant and lactating mothers will also happen at this location.
• There has been a cholera outbreak in the concentrations of IDPs in and around Marere. MSF is treating cases in an isolation ward and assisting the Somali Red Crescent with preventive measures such as hygiene promotion and chlorination of wells.
• More than 1,000 families of IDPs have found refuge in Jiib, near Marere. MSF has distributed NFIs and new distributions are in the pipeline. An MSF mobile clinic and ATFC are addressing the medical needs in Jilib as well as for other displaced people and residents of surrounding areas.
• In Galcayo, malnutrition patient numbers are rising. The ATFC is now admitting children and screening  pregnant and lactating mothers.
• In Galgaduud, Guri El’s 80-bed Istarlin hospital is operating above full capacity, with a marked increase in the numbers of patients who enter the facility hungry and malnourished patients.
• In Belet-Weyne admissions to the nutrition programme are increasing.

Kenya (Dadaab)

Over the past two months, approximately 50,000 people have arrived in Dadaab in search of humanitarian assistance and safety. The camps were full so most of the newly arrived refugees have been forced to settle in the outlying areas of Dagahaley, Ifo and Hagadera camps. These families, camped out in the desert, are living in very difficult conditions with limited access to water, shelter and food and with poor hygiene. MSF has responded by increasing its activities in order to cope with the rising needs.

There are almost 417,000 people living in the camps and their outskirts are experiencing an ever-shrinking access to essential services such as water, sanitation, food and shelter, exacerbated by the fact that many have been sharing their rations with the new arrivals. At the current pace of new arrivals MSF estimates that the camp’s population will total 500,000 before the end of the year, with living conditions expected to deteriorate further. Without a long-term solution in sight, MSF is deeply concerned about the fate of these people who have sought refuge in Kenya due to the ongoing conflict in Somalia, combined with a looming nutritional crisis after several years of drought.

Activities

• In Dagahaley MSF is currently treating over 12,000 patients in various components of its nutritional programmes.  A measles  vaccination campaign is planned in the area.
• MSF teams are currently providing primary health care to refugees settled in the Ifo camp outskirts (estimated population figure above 20,000 people) as well as inside the newly opened Ifo extension camps.
• In Liboi, located at the Somali border, 80 km from Dadaab, MSF continues to work in a health centre based in a reception camp for new Somali refugees, which also provides healthcare for Kenyans. The teams are doing consultations for new arrivals who cross the border before reaching Dadaab.

Ethiopia

Somalis are fleeing to neighbouring countries in great numbers, like Ethiopia.  Today, a total of 160,000 Somalis are seeking refuge in Ethiopia. Overcrowding and insufficient humanitarian assistance worsen their situation.

Refugees mostly arrive through the town of Dolo Ado in Liben region where there are now four refugee camps; Bokolmayo, Malkadida, Kobe, and Hiloweyn. After arrival, refugees first go to the pre-registration camp and then to a transit camp. There are indications of high numbers of malnutrition in Kobe, Hiloweyn and the transit camp.

The transit camp is hosting up to 15,000 people. Delays in the construction of new camps have led to bottlenecks, which leads to limited access to humanitarian assistance: food, shelter and water. It’s hoped that the situation will improve with the transfer of refugees to Hiloweyn camp.

Activities

• MSF and other humanitarian organisations are struggling to meet the needs of the tens of thousands of people who have arrived over the last months. Malnutrition is a serious issue and a number of cases of measles have been reported in the camps. MSF has carried out a mass vaccination campaign with 14,000 people.   MSF provides curative and preventive health services in Kobe and Hiloweyn camp health centres and continues carrying out nutritional programmes in all refugee camps as well as supporting a health centre in Dolo Ado town.
• The situation in the camps of Dolo Ado is critical and measles infections remain a huge concern to MSF.  To fight the potential risk of measles spreading, MSF has begun vaccinating children at the transit centre.
• At Bokolmayo, Malkadida, Kobe and Dolo Ado MSF continues to provide primary healthcare to the refugees, exhausted on arrival and affected by respiratory diseases and diarrhea. Protective and discharge rations were distributed to the families as well as blankets and soap. MSF is delivering an average of 200,000 litres of good quality water per day through the water plant in Malkadida.  The water plant is also contributing to water supply in Bokolmayo, Malkadida, Kobe and Hiloweyn camps.
• The Hiloweyn camp has grown from 0 to 17,000 refugees and there are still thousands more waiting to be transferred.