The statement below, signed by Diakonia and 38 other NGO:s, comes as UN Security Council members meet to discuss the Somalia crisis.

360,000 people newly displaced

On Oct. 30, 2007, 39 NGOs warned of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Somalia and an impending humanitarian catastrophe. Since then, the crisis engulfing Somalia has deteriorated dramatically while access to people in need continues to decrease; 360,000 people have been newly displaced and an additional half a million people are reliant on humanitarian assistance. 

Record high food prices and water shortage

There are now more than one million internally displaced people in Somalia.  Intense conflict in Mogadishu continues to force an average of 20,000 people from their homes each month. This, combined with record high food prices, hyperinflation and drought in large parts of the country is leaving communities struggling to survive. Extreme water and food shortages are expected to worsen across the country if the seasonal rains (April-June) fail as they are predicted to. 

Two million people in need of humanitarian assistance

As the crisis worsens, Somali and international aid agencies are unable to respond adequately to the needs. Attacks on, and killings of, aid workers, the looting of relief supplies, and a lack of respect for international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict have left two million Somalis in need of basic humanitarian assistance. 

We urge all parties to foicus on the humanitarian crisis

For too long, the needs of ordinary Somalis have been forgotten. The undersigned agencies are asking the international community and all parties to the conflict to urgently focus their attention on the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Somalia. They must ensure access for humanitarian supplies, live up to their responsibility to protect civilians and address the environment of impunity. The humanitarian crisis will become more and more complex and will continue to deepen in the absence of a political solution to the current crisis.

39 agencies have signed on to the joint statement above:

1. Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development  (ACTED)
2. Adventist Relief Development Agency (ADRA)
3. African Relief and Development Program  (ARDP)
4. Cooperative Assistance for Relief Everywhere  (CARE)
5. Concern Worldwide (CONCERN)
6. Coperazione Internazionale (COOPI)
7. Diakonie Emergency Aid Bread for the World  (DBG)
8. Diakonia Sweden                                                                                  
9. Development Initiative Access Link  (DIAL)
10. Danish Refugee Council  (DRC)
11. Gedo Health Consortium (GHC)
12. Global Organisation for Health and Development (GOHED)
13. Gothenberg Initiative (GI)
14. Gol Yome Rehabilitation & Development Organization (GREDO)
15. Humanitarian Action for Relief and Development Organization (HARDO)
16. Himilo Foundation
17. HISAN – WEPA
18. Horn Relief                                                                                           
19. International Aid Services (IAS)
20. Institute of Education for Disabled People in Somalia (IEDSOM)
21. International Medical Corps (IMC)
22. International Rescue Committee (IRC)
23. Interpeace/ War Torn Societies (Interpeace)
24. Medicins du Monde (MDM)
25. Mercy Corps Somalia                                                                            
26. Merlin                                                                                                  
27. Norwegian Refugee Council  (NRC)
28. Oxfam International                                                                               
29. Progressio                                                                                            
30. Relief International (RI)
31. SAACID Australia                                                                                 
32. Saferworld                                                                                            
33. Save the Children UK                                                                            
34. Terra Nouva Association for international Cooperation to Development      
35. Education Small Scale Enterprise Food Security & Resource Emergency Response (TROCAIRE)
36. VETAID                                                                                                
37. WETHULNGERHILFE/ Formerly German Agro Action
38. World Concern International 
39. World Vision