VZCZCXRO0143
RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #0966/01 0591234
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281234Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7848
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 0119
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 000966 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
 
USAID/DCHA FOR MHESS, WGARVELINK, LROGERS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, GGOTTLIEB, AFERRARA, ACONVERY, 
KCHANNELL 
DCHA/FFP FOR WHAMMINK, JDWORKEN 
AFR/AFR/EA FOR JBORNS 
STATE FOR AF/E, AF/F AND PRM 
STATE/AF/E FOR NGARY 
STATE/F FOR ASISSON 
STATE/PRM FOR AWENDT, MMCKELVEY 
NSC FOR TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR AMAHONEY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
USMISSION UN ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREL SO
 
SUBJECT: SOMALIA DART SITUATION REPORT 17 ? 
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TO FIRE IN BARDERA 
 
NAIROBI 00000966  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1.  A fire in Bardera town, in southern Somalia's Gedo 
Region, on February 22 displaced approximately 700 
families and destroyed homes and personal assets.  The 
fire underlines the humanitarian conditions that many 
poor Somalis face in towns across the country.  The 
humanitarian community, with effective coordination by 
the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), mobilized rapidly to 
provide emergency assistance in the form of medical 
care, food, water, shelter, and relief supplies. 
 
ONE-FIFTH OF BARDERA UP IN SMOKE 
 
¶2.  On February 22, a fire in the southern portion of 
Bardera town, Gedo Region, spread through approximately 
one-fifth of the land area, destroying houses and 
property.  A UNICEF assessment on February 23 
identified approximately 700 households, about 4,200 
people, affected by the fire, which is suspected to 
have been caused by a cooking accident.  The fire 
occurred in a part of Bardera inhabited by relatively 
poor Somais, whose homes are made of locally available 
materials such as cane and reeds. 
 
¶3.  Most of the 700 families lost all their personal 
belongings in the fire, including bedding, cooking and 
eating utensils, food supplies, and clothing.  Some 
families fled to the homes of relatives and received 
assistance, but others fled to open areas and required 
immediate help.  A local non-governmental organization 
(NGO), Social Life and Agricultural Development 
Organization, identified shelter, blankets, medical 
assistance, food, and water as immediate needs. 
 
COORDINATED RESPONSE EFFORTS 
 
¶4.  UN agencies and NGOs have responded quickly to meet 
the needs of individuals affected by the fire. 
Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) is addressing medical 
needs, the UN World Food Program (WFP) is providing 
emergency food assistance, and international NGOs are 
coordinating with local partners for the distribution 
of relief supplies.  UNICEF sent 500 tents to Bardera 
on February 24, and the Somali Red Crescent Society is 
transporting UNICEF-provided water and sanitation 
equipment, including water bladders and taps.  UNICEF 
is also working with local authorities to ensure that 
schools temporarily housing displaced families will re- 
open promptly. 
 
¶5.  The NGO Norwegian Church Aid is working with local 
partners to distribute 1,400 relief kits comprising 
blankets, cooking utensils, soap, plastic sheeting, and 
jerry cans.  MSF has dispatched a medical team to treat 
people wounded in the fire, and a local NGO is 
addressing psychological needs.  WFP has committed 167 
metric tons of food aid to be distributed in two-month 
food rations to displaced families. 
 
¶6.  UNICEF was effective in coordinating the 
humanitarian response efforts to this disaster with 
local and international NGOs.  In addition to leading 
the coordination effort, UNICEF is providing assistance 
for shelter, water and sanitation, and education 
interventions, and says it has sufficient resources in 
Somalia and the region to mount an effective response. 
 
NAIROBI 00000966  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
COMMENTS 
 
¶7.  Despite the challenges of working in Somalia, 
relief agencies reacted quickly and effectively to meet 
the needs of individuals affected by the recent fire in 
Bardera. 
 
¶8.  Agencies in Bardera and other Somali towns plan to 
use this incident to encourage urban authorities to 
implement minimum fire avoidance measures, such as 
properly spacing homes, enforcing open areas for fire 
breaks, and encouraging people to be careful with 
cooking fires. 
 
RANNEBERGER