26/11/06 (B371) BBC – Somalie : de fortes innondations touchent les populations de Somalie, d’Ethiopie et du Kenya (BBC – Info lectrice)


This boy
had to be rescued
after climbing onto the roof
Fears
over Somalia flood relief

Growing
fears of a war in Somalia are hampering efforts to deliver aid to hundreds
of thousands of people hit by severe flooding, the UN has warned.

A
top humanitarian official said there were concerns UN aid helicopters could
be targeted amid the rising tensions.

He called
for a peace corridor in case of an escalation between the Islamic body controlling
much of Somalia and the transitional government.

The UN
appealed for $15m (£10m) for its operations for Somali flood victims.

Some 1.8
million people affected by the floods in parts of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

The aid
effort in Somalia is especially difficult because of the lack of infrastructure
following 15 years of conflict and the absence of a central government.

« The
task ahead is huge, » the UN humanitarian chief for Somalia, Eric Laroche,
told journalists in Kenya.

He lamented
Thursday’s announcement by Ethiopia that it was prepared for an attack by
its eastern neighbour.

« I
think it is not the right time to be putting oil on the fire, » he said.

Camp
rethink

In
north-east Kenya, the UN refugee agency has dropped plans to relocate tens
of thousands of Somali refugees because of the threat of rising flood waters.

The
camp was set up in 1991 for refugees fleeing civil war in Somalia, and many
of its long-standing residents did not want to abandon property, businesses
and school and hospital facilities at the site.

The
floods in the Horn of Africa follow last year’s droughts in the region.

That left
the earth unable to absorb the heavy rains, leading to flash floods in Ethiopia,
as well as Somalia and Kenya.

The UN
has said the floods could be the worst in the region for 50 years.

The
rains are expected to continue for another month.