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CJTF-HOA Coordinates Humanitarian Aid for Somalia

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070820-07
Release Date: 8/20/2007 2:30:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) John Osborne, Commander Joint Task Force Horn of Africa Public Affairs

DJIBOUTI (NNS) -- The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) coordinated with the American-based charity Islamic Relief USA to donate $463,000 worth of food and medical supplies to the war-torn country of Somalia Aug. 9.

The medicines and food were given to the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) who delivered them to Mogadishu.

“Supporting the African Union peacekeepers like this is very satisfying from a physician’s point of view,” said Cmdr. (Dr.) David Burch, former command surgeon for CJTF-HOA, who was instrumental in setting up the project. “We were able to support our medical counterparts in the Ugandan army, and by doing so, make a positive impact for the citizens of Mogadishu who are caught up in the fighting there.”

The United States has been providing food aid to Somalia since the UPDF deployed there in April, but this bulk delivery of food and medical supplies marked the first time the non-governmental organization (NGO), Islamic Relief USA had worked with CJTF-HOA. The undertaking required massive coordination and collaboration within the support system of the Department of Defense, the UPDF army and U.S. ambassadors from the Ugandan and Kenyan embassies.

“We were alerted to the potential for providing assistance by a discussion between (the NGO) Doctors Without Borders and the U.S. special envoy to Somalia,” Burch said. “CJTF-HOA maintains close contact with the embassies in our area of responsibility, so the ambassador was able to relay this information to us. Through a source in DoD, we made contact with an Islamic non-governmental organization, and I personally met with doctors in the Ugandan military, including the physician directly in charge of the contingent in Mogadishu, to make sure we understood exactly what their needs were.”

Once those needs were determined, the decision was made to have the UPDF deliver the aid to Mogadishu. The UPDF is one of the only forces that has deployed to Somalia to conduct peacekeeping operations since fighting began earlier this year.

The decision to use a military element for the delivery of humanitarian aid was two-fold: The UPDF operates a field hospital that provides immediate medical assistance to the people of Mogadishu, and the security situation there makes it difficult for NGOs to operate safely.

“This is a sign that our efforts as a country are appreciated,” said UPDF Spokesman Maj. Felix Kulayigye, after witnessing the loading. “We are also grateful to the U.S. government who delivered the supplies here. This goes a long way in addressing the needs of the people in Mogadishu.”

“I think it was a great thing to see an Islamic NGO donate pharmaceutical supplies to Ugandan peacekeepers to treat Somali victims,” said Cmdr. (Dr.) Joel Larcombe, who took over for Burch as CJTF-HOA command surgeon. “When I arrived in Uganda, I had a candid conversation with the prospective deploying unit commander about the lack of medical care available in Somalia. He informed me that the Ugandan medical personnel spent most of their time and supplies caring for Somalis, so we were happy to do everything we could. It was a true team effort.”

The CJTF-HOA mission is to conduct unified action in the Horn of Africa to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism.