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August 23 2011: The situation around the SOS Children’s Villages project area in Mogadishu, Somalia, remains calm.  No armed clashes have been reported since Thursday, August 18, when SOS Mothers, children and staff evacuated SOS-Mogadishu. However, SOS families are still out of the Village as the Transitional Federal Government forces together with the African Union Mission in Somalia make final preparations to take full control of the area. This may result in heavy fighting between them and the insurgents.

Medical staff of the SOS Clinic in Mogadishu went back to their duty stations on August 21 and the hospital has been in full operation since then. An increasing number of patients continue to arrive and the doctors are busy in readmitting the patients who fled from the hospital last week.

SOS staff are closely monitoring the overall situation in Mogadishu with regular contact from Somali authorities.

Somali woman carrying child and water cans on her back.

Emergency relief is critically needed in Morudile, Ethiopia.  Immediate intervention is urgent. Morudile is approximately 90 miles south of Gode Town where SOS Children’s Villages has already been providing support. Somali refugees walked about 50 miles to reach Morudile and are very weak and starved. More than 1,800 families are registered so far but the number is increasing daily. The host community is also suffering from the drought and the high pressure from the influx of refugees.

The SOS team in Morudile, with the support of Save the Children UK and local administration, identified the most vulnerable and affected families to be benefited from a food distribution program for 1,000 families. There were 400 families from local communities and 600 refugee families identified as recipients.

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