It is with profound disappointment to note that  Mr. Mark Bowden's [ the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Somalia] response  to Garaad Jama Garaad Ali's letter failed to address  the heart of the matter, helping in the worsening humanitarian situation in sool, sanaag, and Ayn regions.

To all intents and purposes the representative has completely ignored Garaad Jaama's call for humanitarian relief to the people of SSC regions. Instead,  he engaged on matters that have little or no relevance to the subject. Other than a cursory background on the overall current humanitarian situation in Somalia , the honorable diplomat seems to have deliberately avoided  to answer to the humanitarian appeal of Garaad Jama's letter regarding the  critical situation in Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn areas.  Mr Bowden should understand that the least the people of SSC need to be lectured on  is the crisis in Somalia. They know it, they are suffering it, and they are living it in the worst degree possible. 

It is unfortunate but true that whenever there is call for help to the people in Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions, it has become an established pattern for the UN agencies to either ignore the issue altogether or put an insurmountable obstacles in the way of fulfilling their duties. They always come up with all sorts of flimsy excuses such as 'security problems', 'logistical difficulties', 'safety of relief workers', and host of other indefensible reasons.

Lets call a spade a spade.  The UN agencies in Somalia have miserably failed in the SSC people of Somalia. In fact they have become part of the problem rather than the solution. Using the funds provided by the UN and other agencies the so-called Somaliland and Puntland regimes are the agents perpetrating the crisis in SSC regions. Through armed aggression, wrongful political agendas, and other hostile activities Hargeisa and Garowe administrations are the main source of the problems in SSC regions today.  They have created huge disruptions in the lives of the people of Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn. Whole communities are uprooted from their towns and villages through fighting, arbitrary arrest, curfews, and intimidation.  This was made possible with the developmental aid funds provided by the UN  and NGOs to these regimes. These regimes have diverted these funds and grossly misused it for their nefarious agendas in Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions.

Therefore we call on the representatives of UN and other agencies working in Somalia to urgently bring humanitarian supplies to the people of Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn areas, and in particular to those displaced by the recent Ethiopian and SNM-led incursions into Buhodle, Widwith, Balli-Hadhac and surrounding areas. These communities urgently need food, medicine, shelter, and other basic necessities.

We also call on the UN and other agencies to be even-handed in the distribution of  developmental funds and relief aid to all parts of Somalia where there is a pressing need for it. We urge the UN aid assistance to be based on fairness as stated on its charter and in line with its objectives, with priority being  given to those who need most.

Ignoring the urgent plea for help by the traditional leaders and other notables of SSC brings only more tragedy and greater disaster. It is not t in the interest of the UN. As the sole  respresentative for the UN humanitarian assistance to Somalia, Mr. Bowden has special responsibility to respond urgently and postively to the humanitarian need of  SSC people.  With the advice and the co-operation of the community leaders in Sool, Sanaag, and Ayn regions the UN humamanitarian representative should come up urgently with meaningful arrangements to tackle this humanitarian crisis in SSC regions.

A. J. Mohamed

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