allAfrica.com: Somalia: IRIN Interview With Mark Bowden, the UN Resident And Humanitarian Coordinator (Page 1 of 2)

Somalia: IRIN Interview With Mark Bowden, the UN Resident And Humanitarian Coordinator

After almost two decades of civil war and anarchy, Somalia is now suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with 3.2 million people, almost half the population, in need of assistance. To make matters worse because of security problems, killing and kidnappings of relief workers, access to those in need has become almost impossible. IRIN talked to Mark Bowden, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative and Designated Official for Somalia, about how he now sees the humanitarian situation evolving.

Question: What is your assessment of the current humanitarian situation in Somalia?

A: I think Somalia is moving rather more rapidly than people had expected into an increasingly serious crisis. The main elements of this crisis are: the drought, which has now extended and the news we have is that the effects of the drought are now far worse than before. The consequences, I think will be very serious across the whole of Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland. The issue of food prices is a major problem facing Somalia, and I think Somalia has been worse hit than most other countries in the world, because it's been coupled with the collapse of the Somali shilling. This means we are now looking at major groups of people in towns as well as in the countryside that are facing extreme poverty as a result of the food price rises.

On top of that we have the continuing instability in the country, which is leading to massive displacement, people having to leave their homes, living in unsatisfactory and highly dangerous shelters and environments. So, Somalia is really at a stage where the situation is increasingly acute and a cause for a major concern.

Q: What would you say are some of the main challenges to humanitarian response in the country?

A: The number one challenge has to be security. The problem that we face is that the most acute humanitarian crisis is in central and southern Somalia and that is where most of the security problems exist. But, it is a very complicated security picture that challenges the humanitarian community. We have had abductions of key humanitarian staff, people like Keynaan [Hassan Mohammed Ali, head of UNHCR's office in the Somali capital of Mogadishu], Somali national staff for all agencies who have been involved in humanitarian activities have been targeted and this creates a very difficult environment in which to carry out humanitarian operation. But I should say we don't have a choice but to continue given the gravity of the crisis and to try and do more in response to Somalia's needs.

Q. What is the UN doing to try to increase access to vulnerable populations across the country? For example are you in touch with Al Shabaab and other groups to defend humanitarian access?

A: I think we are doing a lot to increase access and we have reassurances from all groups ... from many commanders from all the different groups involved in Somalia. What really matters is what happens on the ground and in the locality and that is where we need to have more support.

Q: How concerned are you that civilians are not being protected in this new upswing in conflict, particularly in the last couple of months? What can be done to improve their protection?

A: I am very concerned about the protection of civilians, because civilians have experienced the worst of the conflict and it is a sad reflection on any society that we aren't able to provide the protection for people that really need it. I am afraid that it is a very difficult environment in which to provide protection. There is more work going on in terms of human rights monitoring by a number of agencies and organisations. Locally, there are some very courageous organisations undertaking human rights reporting and monitoring on the ground.

We also need to have better access, as an international community, to provide the levels of protection that are needed in Somalia. This remains a problem.

Q. Is the UN getting the requisite cooperation from the TFG and the Ethiopians?

A: The UN gets cooperation from the TFG in particular, along with the ARS [Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia]. They committed themselves to access. The Djibouti agreement makes it clear that there are commitments to providing support and access. I think the problems are more in actually what they are able to provide in terms of support. So it is not that the commitment is not there, it is more the capacity to provide support is limited.

Q: We have seen a spike in the violence, particularly in Mogadishu, since the signing of the Djibouti agreement. How do you explain that, if both sides are committed?

A: I think it comes down to what the TFG and ARS actually control...Essentially the problem is there are groups that are unhappy with the agreement, did not participate in it and also may wish to undermine the process by acts of violence. What strikes me as a humanitarian, outside the political process, is that the humanitarian organisations are not part of the political process. What saddens us is that humanitarian workers have been attacked as part of the violence in Mogadishu. Mogadishu is a place where there is more need than many other places but the difficulties of getting assistance there are greater than anywhere else. What we would like is far better recognition that people engaged in providing humanitarian aid are outside the political process and just trying to find ways of helping to meet the needs of the population in Mogadishu, at a time when they above all others need it.

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