danishdemininggroup.dk: Helping more people in Mogadishu

Helping more people in Mogadishu

19.07.11

The cost of saving a life in Somalia is small but the volume of people in need of help is large and growing. Danish Refugee Council has received funding from the EU Humanitarian Fund to provide relief - for even more people.

It only costs 20 cents per day to provide a meal for one of the more than 100,000 Somalis who every day stand in line at the Danish Refugee soup kitchens in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The soup kitchens were actually meant to close, but as the drought forced people to flee into the area, the Danish Refugee Council instead expanded its operation and today 16 soup kitchens are spread across Mogadishu. The number of people living from the distribution has increased from about 70,000 to more than 100,000 day.

EU Humanitarian Fund, ECHO, with a grant of four million dollars, secured the soup kitchens throughout the year.

"Soup kitchens were a temporary solution for the most needy in Mogadishu. We had hoped they were closed now - and replaced by longer-term solutions. But the drought has increased the urgent needs, therefore we are both happy and relieved that ECHO has now made it possible for us to continue the effort even after August 1st, "says Andreas Kamm, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.

The funds from ECHO also make it possible to start a new form of relief, so-called cash relief, where DRC distributes small amounts of money, making it possible for families to buy and cook their own food.

In addition to increasing food aid in Mogadishu, Danish Refugee Council also distributes relief packages for the newly arrived refugees both there and in Hiraan, located north of Mogadishu. In addition, DRC provide relief for the thousands of refugees who are now fleeing towards the large refugee camps in Kenya, i.e. with distribution of clean water. In Ethiopia, the relief efforts expanded due to the drought, too. Here newly arrived refugee families are provided with relief packages so that they can survive in the fast growing refugee camps in Dolo Ado.

"For every penny we spend, we save a human life. It's a simple equation" says Andreas Kamm.

"The Horn of Africa is so hard hit by the drought because the countries are already on their knees after decades of war and conflict. There are many more challenges than just keeping people alive – long term relief and durable solutions - but right now we need to focus on the most basic needs”.

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