Somalia: Population Movement from Laascaanood – Operation Update Report n° 1, DREF Operation n° MDRSO012 – Somalia

Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

This Operations Update n°1 is published to update stakeholders on the progress achieved to date, and to request a no-cost extension of the timeframe from 4 to 6 months, with a new end date on 30 April 2022.

The National Society has already reached most of the planned results of the DREF EPoA launched 23 October 2021. The Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) has provided one-off multipurpose cash grants to 467 households, distributed emergency shelters and shelter NFIs to 150 households, constructed 30 latrines at the IDP settlement side, and has been running an Emergency Mobile Health Clinic (EMHC) since December 2021, targeting the IDP settlement in Jehdin village on the outskirts of Gaalkacyo.

The revision is needed due to delays in the procurement process of WASH items, especially the water treatment chemicals which is to be procured internationally and transported to Somalia. The extension will also support the needed monitoring on WASH and Health potential needs by completing the remaining one-month deployment of the EMHC. The final month of the extension will then be used to complete post distribution monitoring through the ongoing sensitization and make the final assessment on protection concerns in the communities.

The no-cost extension will help ensure that SRCS can carry out activities in an effective and timely manner, in line with the planned activities for the DREF response.

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

On October 2 and 3, 2021, hundreds of families were displaced from Laascanood in the Sool Region of Somaliland, after being arrested and evicted from Somaliland soil by the Somaliland Government. Most of the evicted people are originally from the Southwest State (SWS), Hirshabelle, and Banadir regions and a few from Ethiopia.

While there were initially concerns of upwards of 10,000 people potentially being displaced, the total number of people reported to be displaced from Laascanood was over 7,250 according to UNHCR’s Protection and Return Monitoring Network (PRM), as cited by OCHA in the flash update #3 from 15 October. According to the Puntland Ministry of Interior (MoI), approximately 3,800 of the people evicted arrived in Gaalkacyo and Harfo in the Mudug Region of Puntland between 3 and 5 of October 2021. Of these 3,800 people, approximately 1,000 people were supported by the Puntland and SWS authorities with onward transportation, mainly to their place of origin in SWS, Hirshabelle and Banadir. Some individuals have moved onwards on their own accord or settled with relatives in Gaalkacyo.

Many IDPs initially arrived in Dusmada, on the outskirts of northern Gaalkacyo before being relocated elsewhere. The Puntland Government allocated an area near the village of Jehdin to the east of Gaalkacyo for the remaining 2,800 IDPs to settle in. Jehdin is located approximately 16 kilometres from the city of Gaalkacyo, and the land allocated had no shelter or water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities at the time of the IDP’s arrival. The SRCS, the Puntland Government and other humanitarian partners responded to the needs of the IDPs in the Jehdin settlement, including protection services, water, shelter, food, health, and other necessities.

On 11 February 2021, Somalia Red Crescent Society (SRCS) launched a DREF operation to provide assistance to the identified 2,800 people affected by the forceful expulsion who had settled in Jehdin outside Gaalkacyo, by providing the needed assistance such as emergency shelter, essential household items, basic health services all integrated with Protection, Gender and Integration (PGI) services.