Somalia: Donor caution alarms aid workers

IRIN Africa

Aid agencies operating in Somalia say they need more money but that some donors are holding back, concerned at where resources might end up in areas too dangerous for international staff. (…) As of November 2009, total available humanitarian funding for Somalia stands at US$571 million, compared with $615 million in 2008 (according to the OCHA-managed Financial Tracking System). However, this masks the fact that over $215 million was carried over from unspent or late 2008 monies.

Kiki Gbeho (head of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia) warned that if the funding situation did not improve soon, it could have a negative impact on the whole region, as fleeing Somalis sought relief not only within safer areas of Somalia as but in neighbouring countries too. “According to one worst-case scenario, an additional 283,000 Somalis could flee to neighbouring countries and would require assistance,” Gbeho said. “Already, 530,000 Somali refugees live in several countries in the region.”

The lukewarm and unpredictable donor response, senior aid workers and observers told IRIN, is due at least in part to perceptions that aid operations cannot be properly supervised in areas controlled by armed groups, including Al-Shabab, which might steal or “tax” the aid or benefit indirectly. Some donors feel it is hard to provide the “due diligence” their taxpayers deserve and doubt “remote control” management and monitoring techniques. This comes on top of budget pressures due to the global financial crisis, observers say…

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Photo Credit: Jonathan Gill

Written by: SID

Filed Under: Conflict, Somalia and The Horn

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