![[ToC]](../images/cpbanner.gif)
Only a few years ago, the faces of starving Somali children were flashing nightly on the television screens across America. The United States boldly responded to this crisis with Operation Restore Hope, which began in December 1992. At enormous cost, Operation Restore Hope and its successor United Nations (UN) operations saved countless lives. For the time being, the images of helpless Somali children have faded from the public view. However, widespread famine conditions and civil disorder in Somalia would cause another significant refugee crisis and lead to further instability in the Greater Horn area. The United States has a very strong interest in preventing the return to the situation that existed in Somalia in the early 1990s, which translates primarily into a humanitarian/food security emphasis. In seeking to promote regional stability, therefore, the United States has a political rationale for being in Somalia, as well. Presently, Somalia with its patchwork of factions, warring clans and sub-clans makes long-term, sustainable development a very difficult proposition.
The relief, rehabilitation, and development assistance activities of the United States and other donors have contributed to major improvements in many Somali communities over the past couple of years. These efforts have been aided by auspicious levels of rainfall. More recently, rainfall has been less favorable in some areas and prospects for adequate harvests have declined. Ongoing civil and military strife have also exacerbated the situation. Emergency assistance will continue to be required in areas where there are "pockets of famine." Despite the localized instability and uncertainty, some communities have proven to be remarkably resilient by demonstrating a thriving private sector as well as the ability to build rudimentary local administrative structures to handle the responsibilities of local government. The U.S. Government sees its role in assisting these fledgling structures to develop further in providing services needed by the Somali populace.
The Development Challenge.
Somalia remains one of the very poorest countries in Africa and in the world. Life expectancy is low and the estimated per capita gross national product is less than $150 per year. Somalia is a chronic food-deficit country.
As it has been since January 1991, Somalia continues as a failed state, with no central government and none likely to emerge in the near future. A proliferation of political factions seek to control their domains, in many cases, solely for the benefit of their extended family and clan. Any sense of national identity that may have existed now seems to have been completely subsumed under clan loyalty. Given this highly fragmented nature of Somali society, perhaps the best hope for success is to work with nascent local administrations, wherever they develop, and help them to increase their institutional and organizational capacities and work toward replication of "what works" by spreading it into other geographic areas.
As one of the most protracted, complex emergencies in the world, Somalia also clearly fits within the Agency's Greater Horn of Africa Initiative (GHAI), especially as it relates to crisis prevention and conflict resolution, as well as to the Initiative's goal of food security.
Other Donors.
The European Union's (EU) assistance dwarfs that of any other donor. Since mid-1994, the EU has made available the equivalent of approximately $46 million for project activities which will be fully committed shortly. In addition, the EU Somalia Unit expects approval to program an additional $61 million which represents the remaining balance of Lome III funding pledged to the pre-war Somalia Government. The combination of EU and U.S. resources represents approximately 90% of all resource flows going into Somalia on an annual basis. On the relief side, the EU's equivalent of USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) during FY 1995 committed nearly $7.5 million, only slightly more than the $6.3 million provided through OFDA. Assistance from other donors is small and falling off; for instance, the United Kingdom (UK) went from $3.2 million in FY 1994 to only $850,000 in FY 1995.
FY 1997 Program.
Given the prospect that Somalia will likely remain a failed state throughout the 1996-1997 time frame, the USAID strategy is, first and foremost, to respond quickly to signs of immediate relief needs before they develop into full-blown humanitarian crises. For the more secure areas of Somalia, USAID, through its implementing partners, will help communities in rebuilding their food security structures and health delivery networks. In addition, USAID will support activities to strengthen those elements of civil society which serve as counter-forces to militia and political/clan alliances; namely local government, the private sector, and the indigenous non-government organizations (NGO) sector. Historically, the United States has contributed vast sums of assistance to ameliorate famine conditions caused by weather or civil strife. Thus, improving the ability of fledgling Somali institutions to cope with food security and health problems, and fostering conflict resolution and reconciliation should reduce the need for this assistance in the future.
Agency Goal: Providing Humanitarian Assistance
Five years after the civil war came to Mogadishu, Somalia continues to suffer from a fragile security environment and intermittent armed conflict in some areas. More peaceful regions have witnessed a gradual, if slow, recovery. One USAID objective is to ensure the timely and effective delivery of both relief and rehabilitation assistance which focusses on ensuring adequate food supplies and health care.
USAID's efforts seek to enhance food security by increasing agricultural production in the following ways: expanding land under cultivation, minimizing post-harvest losses, rehabilitating water and irrigation resources, improving seed multiplication practices, providing simple tools, strengthening farm-to-market linkages and supporting community-based agricultural extension practices. Food resources in Somalia contribute to food security most effectively when directed toward pockets of vulnerability as well as rehabilitation activities. Our efforts over the past four years have seen a marked improvement in food security, enabling the programming of resources to move from primarily relief to primarily rehabilitation. A number of external factors, however, can cause a temporary movement away from food security gains, creating the need for a quick move back into a relief mode. An example is the 1995-1996 growing year: (1) the most productive Gu-season harvest was well below average due to a failure of rains; (2) two months after the harvest, an invasion of the Bay region, the breadbasket of Somalia, created an insecure environment which discouraged planting for the next, shorter Deyr-season among farmers and also interfered with normal marketing channels into and out of this fertile region; and (3) security incidents continue to flare up in both the north and the south of Somalia.
Given this reality in Somalia, the Title II Emergency Food, administered by World Food Programme (WFP), must maintain flexibility to address the current and often disparate needs in each region. First, Title II food will be targeted at pockets of vulnerability, distributed to those people in immediate need of nourishment. Second, it will be used to support local initiatives that enhance food security, such as those activities listed above. Third, it will be monetized and proceeds used to support labor-intensive, quick-impact projects aimed at relieving nutritional stress and increasing food security through increased agricultural output or improved access to food.
In addition, the Famine Early Warning System III activity will concentrate on the factors that contribute to food insecurity, including rainfall data, livestock grazing practices, grain prices and export, and commercial food sales.
WFP is able to maintain the required service-delivery capability through a country-wide network of offices. Field staff are able to assess the rehabilitation needs in the different communities and monitor new or emerging pockets of vulnerability. Because of the importance of this on-the-ground network, USAID has made major contributions to WFP from both Development Fund for Africa (DFA) and OFDA resources. Through the two-year DFA grant, WFP has been able to achieve the following rehabilitation outputs: 750 deep wells which provide year-round water to their villages; 650 desilted catchment areas which provide water for humans and livestock for six months each year; 160,000 hectares of rain-fed land returned to cultivation; 37,000 hectares of irrigated land returned to cultivation; 60 km of irrigation canals rehabilitated; 90 villages carried out sanitation or soil conservation schemes; 38 hospitals treated 40,000 hospital patients; 97 Maternal Child Health care centers (MCH) served 36,000 out-patients daily; 40,000 hospital patients received cooked meals that promoted the curative process; 85,000 school children received a meal that promoted learning; 450 schools provided primary education to 85,000 students; and 28,000 demobilized militia received skills training.
Agency Goal: Stabilizing World Population and Protecting Human Health
Child survival has always been a major problem in Somalia. Mortality figures for children under the age of five were recorded as 211 per 1,000 in 1992, the twelfth highest in the world. In the absence of a functioning health care delivery system, children and mothers are often unable to obtain even the most basic health services. Common ailments, such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, which under normal circumstances could be easily treated, regularly claim lives. The nutritional status of vulnerable groups remains precarious.
USAID is providing assistance to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in order to maintain a basic network of primary health care services across the country. With an emphasis on maternal and child health care, nutritional surveillance, and health education, UNICEF aims to reduce mortality and morbidity among target groups. Increasing attention is being paid to the training of community-based health workers and traditional birth attendants in order that basic services are available to rural populations. In addition to training, provision of drug kits, vaccines, and nutrition supplements are also important components of UNICEF's network of primary health care delivery.
Agency Goal: Building Democracy
There will never be food security in Somalia without peace and stability. Therefore, the need to assist conflict resolution and reconciliation is critical to Somalia's peaceful future. Even though there is no national government, there are abundant opportunities to foster reconciliation at the grassroots level by supporting local administrative structures, increasing employment possibilities, and supporting indigenous NGOs. This is most compatible with the Agency's objective of democracy building.
SO 2 activities support a dozen indigenous NGOs in the areas of health, agriculture, and employment generation. In addition, the central feature of this project is strengthening the institutional capacity of these local groups. This project has also developed a strong training unit through which indigenous NGO sub-grantees receive intensive instruction in financial management, administration, and organizational development. Through increased institutional capacity, these indigenous NGOs are prepared to make important contributions to the rehabilitation and long term development of their country.
USAID has been particularly impressed with the vibrancy of the Somalia private sector and the willingness of businessmen to work across clan/faction lines. Accordingly, in addition to continuing support to theSomalia NGO community, future support by USAID will consider assistance to the small/medium-sized private sector.
In addition, USAID/Somalia is working with the United Nations Development Office for Somalia on a pilot project involving local administrations. To date, several studies have been undertaken to determine the strengths and weaknesses of specific, identified local administrations. Now, with this groundwork having been accomplished, the next phase will be to begin the work of capacity building.
|
|
|
Environment |
|
|
|
|
| USAID Strategic Objectives | ||||||
|
1. Effective Delivery of Relief and Rehabilitation Assistance in the Priority Sectors of Food Security and Health - Dev. Fund for Africa - P.L. 480, Title II |
2,500,000 |
1,000,000 |
|
|
2,206,000 |
3,500,000 |
|
2. Rebuild Effective Local Capacity in Government in the Private Sector and in the Independent NGO Sectors - Dev. Fund for Africa |
|
|
|
500,000 |
500,000 |
|
|
Totals - Dev. Fund for Africa - P.L. 480, Title II |
2,500,000 |
1,000,000 |
|
500,000 |
2,206,000 |
4,000,000 2,206,000 |
PROGRAM: SOMALIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Effective Delivery of Relief and Rehabilitation Assistance in the Priority Sectors of Food Security and Health, 649-S001.
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1996: $3,500,000 DFA, $2,206,000 P.L. 480,
Title II
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1999
Purpose: To improve food security, increase access to and improve the quality of health and nutrition services, and enhance rehabilitation and recovery efforts to meet basic human needs in Somalia as well as provide institutional development of indigenous non-government organizations (NGOs).
Background: Somalia has been without a government since the ouster of Siad Barre's dictatorial regime in January 1991. For the past five years, the Somali people have suffered through clan warfare, population displacement, complete breakdown of infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and lack of social services. For hundreds of thousands of Somalis, household food security is precarious and the health and nutrition status among vulnerable groups is poor. Food security in Somalia has been problematic due to the absence of a central government, insecurity, and periodic drought. USAID's activity aims at building a solid foundation for food self-sufficiency from the bottom up, enabling Somalis to adapt more readily to fluctuations in food supply and to the influx of Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) and demobilized militia. Furthermore, the prolonged civil war in Somalia also had a devastating impact on the health delivery system in Somalia. Mortality and morbidity are among the highest in the world. United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), with USAID assistance, has been instrumental in re-establishing critical health care services to children and women in Somalia.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: USAID resources support expansion of land under cultivation, rehabilitation of irrigation and other essential water delivery mechanisms, improved transportation/marketing on rural feeder roads, and strengthening of health and education facilities. Agricultural production has reached pre-war levels of basic cereals; a network of schools and health facilities have been maintained during the life of the program; 70,000 internally displaced or vulnerable people were integrated into their home communities; and 50% of demobilized militia who received training found work using their new skills. To date, Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere (CARE) has awarded 20 sub-grants, of which 10 have gone to local NGOs, totaling just over $5 million for projects in 14 of Somalia's 18 regions. Projects are divided between primary health care service delivery (24%), agricultural support and water facility rehabilitation (28%), and employment/income generation (48%). Standards have improved considerably in the network of UNICEF supported health facilities. The Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) has had broad outreach and is expanding. Mortality and morbidity is declining among vulnerable groups. Standards of clinic staff and health professionals have measurably improved technical and management skills. Supply of essential drugs has continued.
Description: With USAID support, UNICEF will continue its efforts to strengthen health facilities through the provision of staff training and equipment to MCH centers, and health posts. In addition, UNICEF will improve the capacity of health professionals to deliver health care according to acceptable standards. UNICEF will also strengthen Somali health staff capacity to manage an effective EPI program that increases the coverage of the high risk populations in Somalia. Sub-grants in the area of health focus on preventative, rather than curative, community-level primary health care services. Activities include the establishment of village health posts and maternal/child health centers, training of community health workers and traditional birth attendants, child survival interventions, and health education. Sub-grants in the areas of agriculture and water aim to increase self-sufficiency in basic food production and to strengthen the livestock sector. Training is provided in improved farming techniques and animal health. Water sources are rehabilitated for both human and animal consumption and irrigation canals are rehabilitated to increase agricultural production. In the area of employment generation, activities will focus on quick-impact goals which generate economic opportunities targeting women and youth, particularly in urban areas. In addition,the World Food Program (WFP) supports community-initiated activities that: (1) enable displaced people who have returned to their home villages to re-establish a productive and self-sufficient life by increasing availability of and access to water for agricultural and household purposes, improving road access to rural agriculture areas, and increasing food availability through the rehabilitation of agricultural land; (2) maintain curative health care services by supporting hospital referral system for Community Health Workers (CHW) and reducing recovery time for hospital in-patients; (3) contribute to the rehabilitation of primary education by supporting continued primary school instruction and increasing the capacity of school children to learn; and (4) contribute to the integration of demobilized militia by supporting vocational training programs and increasing participation in skills training activities. WFP implements activities at the community level, building local capabilities through increased community participation and input. Through efforts at community prioritization of programs and increased community contribution of local resources, with concomitant decreases of WFP inputs, and local cost recovery schemes, communities will be able to continue the productive activities aimed at their own food self-sufficiency.
Host Country and Other Donors: No host country government exists. USAID is the sole donor for most of the activities in Somalia. UNICEF works in partnership with and the support of most local and international NGOs active in the health services sector. Governments of Japan, France, and Italy provide both monetary and food resources towards the implementation of rehabilitation and development activities.
Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries include approximately 1.5 million women and children and other vulnerable groups in the central and southern zones of Somalia. Increased productive activity by rehabilitating physical and social infrastructure and by integrating demobilized militia into civil society will have a long-term developmental impact on all Somalis by supporting and strengthening community structures that promote increased social cohesion. Target populations include children under the age of five, pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and handicapped, war wounded, displaced families, orphans, and the unemployed.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: USAID implements these activities through WFP, CARE, and the United Nations Children's Fund.
Major Results Indicators: Due to the complete breakdown of civil society and looting/destruction of all government resource centers, accurate and comprehensive baseline data for Somalia is unavailable. International agencies are attempting to re-create data banks and have been compiling statistics, albeit on a rather ad hoc basic, since the Somali government's disintegration in early 1991.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline1/ Target2/
Integrating internally displaced or vulnerable TBD TBD
into their home communities
Increase agricultural production TBD TBD
Maintain schools and health facilities TBD TBD
Demobilized militia receiving training find work TBD TBD
using their new skills
Improved health and nutrition among targeted TBD TBD
groups
Standards for health activities and TBD TBD
performance established and adhered to in
health facilities
Standardized format for data collection TBD TBD
and reporting is instituted and followed.
PROGRAM: SOMALIA
TITLE AND NUMBER: Rebuild Effective Local Capacity in Government, in the Private Sector, and in the Independent NGO Sectors, 649-S002.
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1997: $500,000 DFA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995; ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 1999
Purpose: To establish a development planning mechanism for Somalia, which will contribute to its long-term rehabilitation, and sustainable and equitable development.
Background: Since January 1991, Somalia continues as a failed state, with no central government and none likely to emerge in the near future. A proliferation of political factions seek to control their domains, in many cases, solely for the benefit of their extended family and clan. In the likely absence of a national government for the foreseeable future, USAID believes that this activity to strengthen local administrative structures (LAS) is of the utmost importance in moving Somalis towards greater self-reliance and improving the means of preventing conflict.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: Despite the localized instability and uncertainty, some communities have proven to be remarkably resilient. In these cases, the private sector is thriving and they are building rudimentary local governments. Given the highly fragmented nature of Somali society, the best hope for success is to work with these nascent institutions to develop their capacity to provide needed services in those communities. Assessments have been completed to identify areas for capacity-building for the LAS. Training for LAS has already began.
Description: USAID will assist the United Nations Development Office of Somalia (UNDOS) to carry out work with LAS in supporting a program of technical assistance and training in select districts/regions in such administrative areas as taxation, finance and public administration.
Host Country and Other Donors: Obviously, there has been little host country involvement, to date. However, specific local communities have been actively involved. United Nations Development Programme, the European Union, and Italy have been the principal donors.
Beneficiaries: Somalia administrators at the local level, plus thousands of Somali citizens who will benefit from improved regional and municipal services.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: USAID implements activities through UN Agencies: UNDP and UNDOS.
Major Results Indicators:
Baseline3/ Target4/
Regional assessments conducted. Completed (1995) Completed (1995)
Regional training activities in local TBD TBD
administration conducted.
Computer data bases established TBD TBD
with updates continuing.