Emergency Water Sanitation and Health in Somalia - World Vision Canada 2009

With the Ethiopian military removal of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) government in December 2006 open conflict erupted between the Ethiopian-supported Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and remnants of the Islamic Courts regime in Somalia. For two years the ongoing conflict has caused a severe degradation of the humanitarian situation across the country. Over 600 000 people have been forced to flee the fighting in and around Mogadishu. Overall an estimated 1.3 million Somalis have been displaced from their homes and between 3.2 and 3.5 million are in dire need of food clean water and sanitation services healthcare shelter and protection. With CIDA support World Vision Canada is helping to improve access to potable water adequate sanitation facilities information on healthy hygiene practices and nutritional support to an estimated 20 000 conflict-affected people in the Middle Juba region of Somalia. Specific project activities include training local water management committees to maintain water facilities; establishing ten wells and 100 latrines in selected areas; disseminating key health and hygiene messages to improve hygiene awareness; supplementary feeding for children under five years of age at risk of malnutrition; and therapeutic feeding for severely malnourished children