SOMALIA: Dire conditions in the northern Togdheer Region - FEWS NET

NAIROBI, 17 February 2004 (IRIN) - Extensive drought in the northern Togdheer Region of the self-declared republic of Somaliland, where about 350,000 people live, has forced schools to close, water wells to dry up and the livestock population to decline significantly, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said on Monday. "There is currently a severe drought in Togdheer Region, particularly [in the] south and northwest due to successive rainfall failures," FEWS NET said in a report following an assessment mission to the region conducted in late December. "The Somaliland authorities conducted [an earlier] assessment... and called for international assistance," it said. The prevailing harsh conditions in the region, it said, had, by December forced about 40 percent of children, most of them girls, to drop out of school. Of 54 urban and rural schools, seven were not operating due to migration of the local population to other areas, while another eight closed in December. "In some villages, even the teachers had moved with their families," it said. On water availability, the report said that of 1,638 water sources found in nine villages, about 60 percent were either disused or damaged, and only 16 percent of the rest had water levels ranging from 25 percent to 75 percent of their capacity. "The water infrastructure is in poor condition. Functioning [water sources in] the visited villages had poor sanitary conditions. Animal and human faeces, dead animal carcasses were observed scattered around the water points and villages, which would inevitably contaminate water sources," FEWS NET said. It said livestock ownership in the predominantly pastoral region, had dropped to 40-50 percent for sheep and goats and 15-20 percent for camels. Nil production and consumption of milk or ghee, was observed, and dying stock was a significant source of food. "Livestock production is the main economic activity providing food income and employment. A combination of inadequate pastures, diseases, high consumption and disposal has reduced livestock ownership [and] reduced the poor households' food source and income," FEWS NET said. "Livestock deaths are expected to increase during the coming dry season (January to April) due to water and pasture depletion." According to FEWS NET, the general food security situation in the region was precarious. "A deterioration of the already precarious food insecurity for a significant proportion of the community and a surge in the population of the destitute and the displaced (IDPs) is anticipated," it said. "The poor wealth group, now constituting 40-50 percent of Togdheer pastoral food economy, is likely to increase to about 60-70 percent as more middle group families join them after losing their livestock. Some of the poor households will further become destitute and/or IDPs," it said. On health, the report said access to services was very limited and availability of medicines for common ailments was "either nonexistent or woefully inadequate". The situation was worsened by poor sanitation. FEWS NET made numerous recommendations, including targeted emergency free food distribution from January to May, and provision of medical and vaccination supplies. It also called for a health and hygiene promotion campaign in the region, the establishment of mobile veterinary teams and drugs, relief fodder for the animals and restocking of livestock in the region. Other recommendations included trucking water for human consumption and wide-ranging support to the educational systems, including school feeding and provision of alternative schooling models for the children. The rapid assessment, which sought to study the impact of the current drought on water, pasture, livestock, migration and displacement, food security, health and nutrition, was conducted by several UN agencies and international and local NGOs. The report is available at: www.fews.net