From: Yemane Natnael (yemane_natnael@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Aug 25 2008 - 13:19:54 EDT
Number of Somalis needing aid spikes to 3.2 million
Mon 25 Aug 2008
NAIROBI (Reuters) - The number of people needing humanitarian aid
in Somalia has leapt 77 percent this year to more than 3.2 million, an
authoritative new study has shown.
The report by Food Security Analysis Unit, seen by Reuters on
Monday, paints a bleak picture of a crisis compounded by failed rains,
rising food prices, inflation, and the worst insecurity in the Horn of
Africa nation since the early 1990s.
"Somalia is now facing the worst security situation in the last 17
years, with increased armed conflict and fighting, targeting of
humanitarian aid workers, military build-up, increased sea piracy and
political tension," the report said.
"This situation is severely undermining economic activities and
humanitarian delivery, thus contributing to the overall deterioration
in the humanitarian situation."
The FSAU was set up by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation
to provide humanitarian agencies with reliable data from the lawless
country.
More than 8,000 civilians have died since the start of last year in
fighting pitting Somalia's interim government and its Ethiopian
military allies against Islamist insurgents.
The violence has driven about 1 million more from their homes,
triggering what aid workers say is the worst humanitarian crisis in
Africa.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN544324.html
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