Care Magazine

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NEWSWEEKi n t e r v i e w sDAVID GILMOURSomalia Country Director

NOMAN’S LAND

CARE.org Magazine | December 2008

CONTENTS

3 About CARE.org4 No Man’s Land6 Recent Press Releases

CARE.org Magazine | December 2008

ABOUTCARE.ORG

CARE is a leading humanitarian organi-zation fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

Our Mission

Our mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advo-cates for global responsibility. We facilitate lasting change by:

• Strengthening capacity for self-help • Providing economic opportunity • Delivering relief in emergencies • Influencing policy decisions at all levels • Addressing discrimination in all its forms

Guided by the aspirations of local commu-nities, we pursue our mission with both excellence and compassion because the people whom we serve deserve nothing less.

Our Board of Directors

CARE’s board of directors is the orga-nization’s governing body, elected by the members at an annual meeting. All members are responsible for gaining a basic understanding and initiating action in support of CARE’s mission, goals and programs. This includes assisting in expanding CARE’s outreach and increasing its visibility and donor support. All board members are volunteers and serve without compensation.

Our Executive Team

The board of directors appoints CARE’s president, treasurer and secretary. The president appoints the rest of CARE’s executive team, including the chief oper-ating officer, general counsel and senior vice presidents of finance, IT and admin-istration, human resources, program, and external relations.

Our History

CARE is one of the world’s largest private international humanitarian organizations, committed to helping families in poor communities improve their lives and achieve lasting victories over poverty. Founded in 1945 to provide relief to survivors of World War II, CARE quickly became a trusted vehicle for the compassion and generosity of millions.

4 CARE.org Magazine | December 2008

By Morgan Brennan | NEWSWEEK

Last month Somali pirates hijacked a ship bound for Kenya, snatching

both $30 million in military equipment and prolonged international attention. The true crisis, however, is on the mainland, where escalating civil strife is exacting a dramatic humanitarian toll. In the past nine months, more than 870,000 civilians have fled their homes. Over 50 humanitarian aid organizations have helicoptered into Mogadishu and elsewhere to provide emergency relief for those who remain in the failed state. Now, both extreme Islamic militant groups and money-seeking criminal gangs are targeting the aid workers themselves; 111 serious incidences ranging from abduction to murder have been reported this year. Many agencies are suspending their operations or fleeing Somalia altogether, making the plight of the 3.25 million internal refugees all the worse. The result, warn some experts, could be a catastrophic famine.

NEWSWEEK’s Morgan Brennan spoke with David Gilmour, the Somalia country director for CARE, one of the largest international NGOs providing food and water there, about aid-worker abductions, clan justice and the looming threat of famine.

NEWSWEEK: What’s the situation on the ground like right now?

David Gilmour: It’s the worst it’s been here since 1991-92, when the formal government fell. There are 1.1 million people displaced because of the recent fighting, and more than 40 percent of the population needs humanitarian assistance. Fighting has made it extremely dangerous for aid operations to function effectively. The infrastructure is completely broken. There have been many consecutive years of drought. Coupled with skyrocketing food and fuel prices and no employment opportunities, the immediate

emergency needs are food and water.

“Do we suspend or stop our operations when the Somali people who are relying on our aid to survive would not be able to receive it?”

Who exactly is responsible for this violence?

It can be attributed to many different groups that are in Somalia—politically motivated groups or criminal groups looking for personal gain. Opportunists taking advantage of the situation see aid

workers as an easy target for extorting money. Extreme [political] groups see them as potential targets, too.

But why the sudden increase in violence?

Imagine a whole generation of kids born 17 years ago who have known nothing else but civil strife. With no formal government in power, the clans have held their communities together with their own forms of justice. In the past when there have been security incidences, the elders would resolve them within hours, maybe a couple of days. They no longer have that control.

NO MAN’S LANDViolence is on the rise in the failed state of Somalia, and now aid workers are the targets.

5CARE.org Magazine | December 2008

What kind of violence is taking place?

It has been very random, unpredictable. This year, there have been 28 deaths and 12 aid workers currently kidnapped. The number [of kidnappings] was much higher earlier this year, but some have been released. In some cases, there has been contact by the groups for money. Two of our national workers have been kidnapped, but there have been no demands placed on CARE, just silence, which is very worrying.

There have been a number of prominent clan members and influential people who have been killed because they have spoken out against these actions. Numerous threats have been directed at organizations and individuals. The threats are followed by assassinations by pistol or, in more dramatic cases, with remote-control explosive devices targeting vehicles.

“Imagine a whole generation of kids born 17 years ago who have known nothing else but civil strife.”

How are aid organizations responding to the violence and what will this mean for Somalis dependent upon aid?

There are a number of organizations like CARE, who have suspended their efforts in certain locations for a period of time until hopefully the situation resolves itself. We haven’t closed, but we have suspended certain locations. We are hopeful that we can return to those locations. The last thing we want to do is abandon them. If it is totally impossible for humanitarian access, we are looking at one of the largest catastrophes that the world will see in this decade.

We are faced with horrible questions: Do we risk our staff or our partners’ lives to deliver aid when there have been threats or when one of our staff has been abducted? Do we suspend or stop our operations when the Somali people who are relying on our aid to survive would not be able to receive it? We look for creative solutions to be able to meet our humanitarian objectives. Millions of people need emergency food and water, and we need access to get to these people.

Just how close are we to a severe famine?

If the rains fail and there is increased drought, the projection toward a humanitarian catastrophe where thousands, maybe millions, would die will be fast-tracked.


The leader of one of the world’s premier humanitarian organizations, Dr. Helene Gayle, today congrat-

ulated U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and called on him and other world leaders to “remember the poorest of the poor.” Dr. Gayle, president and CEO of CARE, issued the following statement:

“I am deeply honored to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden. As they start the tough job of stabilizing the economy and strengthening America’s relationships abroad, I trust that they will remember the poorest of the poor – those who live on less than $2 a day. Our engagement with them often makes the differencebetween life and death.

“From the conflicts in Somalia and the Democratic Rep- ublic of Congo to the worsening violence throughout Afghanistan; from the drought in Ethiopia to the devastating floods in Haiti, women and children bear the brunt of these tragedies. They need our help to survive and to ultimately break the cycle that mires them in poverty generation after generation.

“Around the world, people cling to the possibility that they, too, can be a part of the hope that President-elect Barack Obama speaks of; that they, too, can achieve the dignity and stability everyone wants for herself or himself and for future

generations. But as many in our country

CARE’s Leader Congratulates New President; Urges Attention to the World’s Poor

November 5, 2008

have recognized – and as the President-elect has said – helping people in poor countries is not only good for them; it’s an excellent investment in our own future. People who have hope and opportunity are more likely to contribute to the world of peace and stability that we all desire.

“As CARE has done for decades, we look forward to being in partnership with the new administration and the new Congress to advance solutions to overcome the crises in health, food, water and economic stagnation that contribute to dire poverty around the globe. Together, we can move toward implementing the processes that we know work to empower communities to make lasting change.”


Tens of Thousands More Women and Girls at Risk of Rape and Attack in Democratic Republic of Congo

Sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached “epidemic proportions,” and the new

wave of heavy fighting is putting tens of thousands more women and young girls at risk, says CARE. CARE, in partnership with other agencies, is starting a new program to support the increased number of battered and traumatized women.

There have been more than 3,500 cases of sexual violence for North Kivu alone reported to the Joint Initiative on Sexual Violence from January to September this year – that’s nearly 400 a month.

“We know rape is typically under-reported, and feel that this number doesn’t even come close to reflecting the actual number of cases. The actual number is unimaginable,” said Elisabeth Roesch, gender and advocacy advisor for CARE, based in Goma in the DRC. “With this recent fighting, we won’t know the full extent right away, because there is such stigma around sexual violence. Women don’t come forward for fear of rejection, reprisal and because of continued insecurity. They need safety, medical care, support and encouragement, and this is a crucial gap in the DRC today.”

The ongoing conflict in the DRC has created one of the most appalling wars on women in the world. Rape has become a tool of war, spreading HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, destroying families and traumatizing the women, who are attacked, and their children, who are often witness to this violence or are attacked themselves.

“Sexual violence has reached epidemic proportions in North Kivu,” said Roesch. “These are women who have been suffering for a long time. There has been fighting and displacement for months and months. They are losing their ability to cope, and this is pushing them over the edge.“It has been said that it’s more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier in the DRC right now – that couldn’t be more true. This isn’t just an immediate problem. Rape leaves a legacy of violence that continues on long after the war ends.”

While rape is one of the worst forms of violence against women, women are also subject to abuse and exploitation; and as more men are killed or called to fight, a growing number of women must raise their children alone.

In the heavily-affected area of Birambizo,

November 6, 2008

North Kivu, CARE will provide survivors of violence with medical assistance, psychosocial support and help in recovering their ability to provide for themselves and their families; and work with communities to help women reintegrate into their former lives.

CARE’s emergency program in response to the latest fighting has also expanded to provide emergency supplies for 2,700 people still taking refuge in churches, open spaces and schools in Goma, who have no access to drinking water, shelter, food or medical support. The emergency supplies include hygiene items, blankets, kitchen supplies, plastic sheeting and jerry cans to store treated drinking water.


The ongoing conflict in North Kivu, a province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is tearing

families apart and leaving an increasing number of mothers to care for their children alone. Forced to flee from their home villages, single mothers are struggling to cope away from their traditional support systems of family and neighbors.

“We’re seeing that as many as 20 percent of the displaced families in Goma may be headed by single mothers,” said John LaPointe, CARE’s emergency coordinator in Goma, the capital city of North Kivu. “Women have been separated from their husbands, or their husbands have been killed in the fighting or recruited into the army or rebel forces.”

In response, CARE is expanding its emergency intervention to help an additional 800 families who have

fled the violence in North Kivu, with a particular focus on providing support for the disproportionate number of women-headed households. Distributions will include standard emergency supplies such as shelter materials, kitchen utensils, blankets and clothing. CARE will also be providing safe delivery kits and feminine hygiene kits that include sanitary napkins and undergarments, and PEP kits (post-exposure prophylaxis kits for HIV) to health centers within Goma and along the northern Goma-to-Rubare axis.

Goma: As Many as 20 Percent of Displaced Families May Be Headed by Single Mothers

November 24, 2008

As rape has become the devastating legacy of the war in the DRC, CARE and other agencies are working together to create a referral program for survivors of sexual violence that helps ensure women receive prompt medical treatment and psychosocial support. In the heavily-affected area of Birambizo, North Kivu, CARE is starting a program to provide support to survivors of sexual violence, livelihoods activities, water and sanitation facilities and rehabilitating health care centers, including the provision of medicines and training for health workers.

CARE has already distributed emergency supplies to more than 4,000 people in Goma. Construction of a cholera treatment center, which CARE is operating in partnership with the aid agency Merlin, is complete and ready to accept patients.


Winter Looms Amid Drought, Insecurity in AfghanistanAt least 8.4 million people may go hungry

The approaching winter will likely worsen the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, CARE officials warn,

as dangerous conditions hamstring efforts to combat drought-driven food shortages.

“Attacks against U.N. staff and international aid workers have jumped sharply this year,” says Lex Kassenberg, country director for CARE in Afghanistan. From January to September alone, 29 nongovernmental organizations workers were killed and 78 kidnapped. “Access to communities continues to be seriously hampered by widespread insecurity. More and more it’s getting increasingly difficult to reach communities with the supplies they need.”

Today roughly 8.4 million people, or one-fourth of the Afghan population, are considered food insecure. According to aid workers on the ground there, drought,

insecurity and rising food prices in northern Afghanistan may drive hundreds of thousands of people from their homes this winter.

In response, CARE has launched cash-for-work projects in the northern province of Balkh, providing income opportunities for an initial 2,400 families. CARE also will begin supplying seed, fertilizer and other agricultural materials to help farmers rebuild livelihoods lost. CARE’s ongoing work in Afghanistan includes programs to educate girls in rural areas and make widows self-sufficient in Kabul.

Adds Kassenberg: “CARE applauds the U.N.’s decision to establish an independent office for coordinating humanitarian affairs in Afghanistan but calls on donors to make sure it receives adequate funding.” Fighting along the Pakistani border

November 24, 2008

has already complicated the situation, sending around 20,000 refugees into the country from Pakistan.

In July 2008, the Afghan government and the United Nations jointly appealed for $400 million in emergency aid. But, according to the Ministry of Rural Development, donors had funded only 35 percent by mid-September.

“We are entering a critical time of year,” Kassenberg said. “Greater assistance depends on greater security. Without both, more Afghans are going to suffer.”

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