Somalia - Humanitarian Emergency Assistance to the 2005 Drought Affected Population

According to WFP, the minimum food requirements for Somalia for the period December 2005 till end June 2006 had been estimated at some 21 ,000 mt of cereals, pulses, vegetable oil and blended food. This figure will increase dramatically to some 77,000 to 136,000 mt, as an extra 59,000 to 118,000mt are needed to respond to the unmet humanitarian crisis in South Somalia. To date DFID has contributed USD 1.7 million and this has been used to procure about 2,400 mt that were received on 22 December 2005. Food for Peace (FFP) of USAID made a pledge of 10 million US Dollar (for some 14,750 mt of vegoil, maize, peas and corn-soy blend), during January 2006. Therefore, there are still urgent unmet requirements of some 41,000 mt to 100,000 mt, with a value of about 25.3 million US Dollar, till June 2006 on basis of the presently projected worst case scenario. Emergency assistance is therefore urgently needed as the WFP has a preference of cash to procure regionally in East or South Africa the required cereals, especially white maize.