Emerg Nutrition & Health Care, East Africa Crisis

The Holiday Season is upon us and I am sure you are thinking of what to give others, as well as what you may soon receive.  You generously supported Merlin's emergency response program in East Africa and below is an update on our work, to keep you informed.

Unfortunately, we continue to ask for support - with over four million in need of assistance in Somalia alone, there is still, so much that needs to be done.  If you are able to offer us an additional or recurring gift, please consider doing so.  Your gift will make a difference; it will give hope and help to save lives.  

Update on the general situation in East Africa

• The rainy season began in October.  However, floods were reported in southern parts of Somalia and south eastern Ethiopia, which has resulted in cases of water-borne diseases such as Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD), cholera, malaria, dengue fever, and pneumonia.  The World Health Organisation has also reported cases of measles.
• Weather forecasts predict a below average rainfall in most parts of Somalia, (especially in northern areas), until December.
• The security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly, particular in Kenya and Somalia. As a result of an increased number of kidnappings of international personnel, the Kenyan Government has responded by sending several hundred soldiers into Somalia’s border lands. This action has meant many Somalian familes have moved on again, after already being  displaced because of the drought.
• According to UNHCR – the UN refugee Agency - the number of Somalis crossing into Kenya has decreased.  However, the number of Somali arrivals in the Ethiopian refugee camps has significantly increased, with nearly 5,000 people crossing in the first half of October, brining the average daily arrival rate to 414, more than twice that of September.

Update on Merlin's work in October

Somalia

• Offering over 585 000 people health care.
• Expanded health and nutrition activities in Borama district.
• Staff given additional and refresher training in managing childhood illnesses in an integrated way.
• Merlin was awarded World Food Program funding and is now operating supplementary feeding programs in Somaliland, alongside the primary health services. 
• HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services are now part of health care services in Puntland clinics.

Kenya

• Giving health care to 485,000 men, women and children in the Turkana region.
• Merlin continues to support 29 health facilities offering care to children with acute malnutrition.
• Outreach activities using mobile clinics took place in over 100 locations.
• Nearly 240 health education sessions were conducted to over 37,500 people.
• Drug kits were distributed to health facilities.

Ethiopia

• More than 635,000 people have direct access to health and nutritional care.
• Merlin is now working in Gode zone, after identifying five locations for outreach clinics.
• Mobile health and nutrition teams have been scaled up.  There are now five sites in West Gode, five in Gode, ten in Adadle and five in Kelafo.
• Staff launched an emergency response in Godere providing health and nutrition to approximately 2,000 extended families (around 80% of which were Somali refugees).
• Total number of those benefitting from direct services in October – 67,399.

From everyone at Merlin, thank you for your support and interest in our work.