SAACID's emergency relief programme comes under its 'Food Security' programming division.

SAACID has operated programming in the emergency relief area since 1992 in Somalia. At that time, Somalia suffered an acute humanitarian crisis, in which it is estimated that more than 2 million Somalis were at risk of death through starvation (and the concomitant diseases that accompany insufficient nutrition). At that time SAACID partnered the ICRC in setting up 75 'wet' food centres (where food is cooked and prepared to eat) in central Somalia (also see health programming).

 Since that time SAACID has responded to regular emergencies caused by drought, fire, flood, tsunami and war.

 The most recent emergency that SAACID is responding to is the massive displacement of an estimated 1,500,000 Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) inside and outside Mogadishu City; that has been caused by violent conflict between the Ethiopian military and TFG militia on the one side, and opposition clan militias on the other.

 Current programme goals

 To provide humanitarian relief to the most vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Mogadishu, Middle Shabelle and Lower Shabelle regions of Somalia.

 SAACID has targeted existing IDP settlements in Mogadishu and in targeted areas in Middle and Lower Shabelle, for emergency dry food distribution. The emergency aid has gone to IDPs that are most at risk of starvation – an increasing threat in central Somalia today.

 The emergency assistance has been a combination of food, water and sanitation.

 From November 2007 to 30 June 2008, SAACID will have delivered the following to 100,000 IDPs in Afgoye District of Lower Shabelle Region:

 ·        Daily water trucking for 100,000 IDPs

 ·        98,243,750 litres of potable drinking water

 ·        5,000 jerry cans distributed for water storage

 ·        900 emergency toilets constructed

 ·        Dry food distributions to 75,000 IDPs on a monthly basis since June 2007

 From September 2007 to the present, SAACID has been providing dry food distributions to 125,000 IDPs in Middle Shabelle Region.

 From November 2007 to June 2008, SAACID has been providing 50,000 hot meals per day to IDPs and urban poor in Mogadishu City through 10 food kitchen sites. From June 2008, the programme was expanded to 16 sites throughout the city, delivering 80,000 hot meals per day. As at 13 July 2008, some 9,913,318 hot meals have been delivered.

 Strategy

 SAACID operates a rights-based approach as much as possible. SAACID works closely with indigenous district-based leaders to make thorough assessments, and to identify the most vulnerable IDPs.

 SAACID has a proven track record of operating with a grassroots philosophy both in Mogadishu and in rural areas.

The normal modus operandi of UN agencies (WFP) is to provide food-for work to supplement food deficit communities; and achieve other objectives in the process – such as, rehabilitating canals, roads, sewerage lines, numeracy and literacy training, etc.

 While food-for-work programming is not as effective as cash-for-work (CFW), it does still provide a relatively effective mechanism for relief assistance. Cash-for-work provides the victims of disaster with cash for their labour in rehabilitating damaged or destroyed infrastructure. Besides the obvious benefits of rehabilitating infrastructure, cash-for-work provides the victims with a cash income (usually for 3-months), with which they can purchase goods which have been lost in the disaster. It also allows for the purchase of food until their next crop can be harvested. This food is purchased from within the local (Somali) economy. SAACID estimates that this money is redistributed at least 7 times throughout the economy. So there are significant local (Somali) economic benefits for the wider community, as well as those who have been victims of the disaster. Finally, cash-for-work allows the victims to purchase essential services, such as healthcare and educational services for their families.

 Food-for-work operates by providing food in exchange for the labour of the victims of a disaster (usually 3-months). The labour effort is directed to the rehabilitation of infrastructure that has been damaged or destroyed and is seen as critical to the long-term sustainability of the communities suffering from disaster. The food offered is also a mechanism through which the victims of the disaster have enough nutritional intake to sustain them until their next harvest. The food overwhelmingly comes from 'Western' donors; and is usually taken from their surplus national production. SAACID's field experience indicates that much of this food is of poor quality by the time it reaches the disaster recipients. It usually does though, provide for the immediate food security needs of the effected communities. It does not though, maximise the choices for disaster victims or the more general community (in this case Somalia). When victims inevitably sell part of the food they receive so as to purchase goods - to replace those lost in the disaster - they 'dump' these 'Western' food resources onto the local markets. This has the effect of depressing local agricultural pricing, as they have to compete with these 'dumped' goods. It is also quite difficult to barter the food received for services - for example in healthcare and education.

 This all being said, WFP works quite effectively with what it has, and the assistance is genuinely appreciated by the communities affected by disaster, as it is usually the only assistance they ever receive.

 SAACID has strong expertise in practical emergency relief programming in the Somali context. If you would like to know more about our emergency relief programming, please feel free to contact us at the link below.