A/HRC/18/48 7. Loss of livestock, decreasing pastoralist incomes, poor harvests and high food prices in the pastoral and agricultural zones of Somalia have severely affected household access to food. In June, the United Nations estimated that almost 3 million people in Somalia faced food insecurity, almost one third of the overall population. In July, the United Nations estimated that acute malnutrition rates were over 20 per cent in the entire southern Somalia, reaching 38 per cent in Bay, Bakol and Gedo regions. 8. The devastating effects of the drought have been compounded by the ongoing armed conflict and insecurity, extreme underdevelopment, including in terms of infrastructure and the denial of humanitarian assistance by Al-Shabaab in the areas it controls. As a result, in July 2011, the United Nations declared a famine in Bakol and the Lower Shebelle regions of Somalia. 9. Drought and conflict-related displacement from southern Somalia and refugee flows into Ethiopia and Kenya steadily increased over the reporting period; in an average month in 2011, some 15,000 Somalis flee their country and arrive in Kenya and Ethiopia. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in June 2011 alone, an estimated 54,000 refugees fled to Kenya and Ethiopia from Somalia, which represents three times the number of people who fled in May. 10. While conflict has been a fact of life for most Somalis for years, it is the drought that has taken them to breaking point. Totally destitute women and children walk for days to reach camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. According to UNHCR, more than 80 per cent of those fleeing Somalia are women and children. Men and boys are left behind to look after what is left of their possessions, or prevented from fleeing by Al-Shabaab when not already recruited to fight the jihad. The death toll of displaced Somalis continues to increase as many travel in last-minute desperation when food reserves have run dry, leaving them to make the journey with no resources. 11. In July, Al-Shabaab allowed the operations of actors such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in its territories, but maintained its ban on such agencies as the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and several international non-governmental organizations. Already in April 2010, the Security Council designated Al-Shabaab for targeted sanctions for its obstruction of humanitarian aid; credible sources have indeed reported that it Al-Shabaab has extorted payment from humanitarian entities that work in areas it controls. Given these precedents and the claim by the Al-Shabaab spokesperson that the humanitarian emergency situation is “totally, 100 per cent wrong and baseless propaganda” fabricated by the United Nations for political purposes, the independent expert is concerned at the real scope of the opening announced by Al-Shabaab. 12. Overcrowding in receiving locations such as Dadaab is severe and is resulting in refugees not getting the assistance they need. A similar situation is found in Mogadishu, where reportedly 1,000 displaced people arrive daily. There is reportedly an upsurge in sexual violence against women. 13. The United Nations, international and national non-governmental organizations are reportedly working to respond to the crisis. However, as recognized by the United Nations in its reports, the overextended humanitarian aid, in particular in Mogadishu, is struggling to cope with the large influx of internally displaced persons. While the humanitarian community has increased efforts to meet people’s urgent needs in all affected areas, there is real concern that programmes may not be sustainable beyond the short term because of lack of funding. 14. International efforts to deal with the drought situation have been compounded by the fact that not only Somalia but the whole of Horn of Africa is experiencing the most severe 4