Feeding IDPs in Somalia
Monday, December 31, 2007

For the past two decades Somalia has been devastated by civil war, foreign invasion, and natural disasters. This country of 8.2 million people has been without a functioning government for the past 16 years. During this period, hunger and violence has forced approximately 464,000 into refugee camps in neighboring countries.

Feeding IDPs - Somalia .....................  View Ablum

For the past two decades Somalia has been devastated by civil war, foreign invasion, and natural disasters. This country of 8.2 million people has been without a functioning government for the past 16 years. During this period, hunger and violence has forced approximately 464,000 into refugee camps in neighboring countries.
Additionally, upwards of 1,000,000 Somalis have become internally displaced persons (IDPs), i.e. they fled their homes to live in other parts of Somalia. Most of these IDPs live in makeshift camps, living under the open sky with little or no shelter at all.
In partnership with the American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa (ARAHA), LIFE for Relief and Development funded a project to provide basic food needs to many of these IDPs. The project was carried out in the spring of 2007.
In the towns of Dhobley and Baled Hawo, which are on the border with Kenya, LIFE provided food to some 800 families, each with an average of 6 children. Thus the total number of people that LIFE helped to feed through this project was 5,600. The food assistance included large amounts of rice, flour, and cooking oil.
LIFE wishes to express its appreciation to ARAHA for implementing this project efficiently, and while under dangerous security conditions.