A/HRC/7/26 Page 16 Somalia, which included representatives from Amnesty International and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network Another panellist was French filmmaker, Daniel Grandclément, who in 2006 captured one such harrowing crossing of the Gulf of Aden between Bossaso and Yemen in his film, “Les Martyrs du Golfe d’Aden”. 63. The film and the parallel event attracted some attention to this dreadful phenomenon. However, it is clear that this mixed migrant population requires protection against sexual and gender-based violence, targeted harassment, trafficking, insecurity and vulnerability to common criminality, inequitable access to social services and humanitarian assistance and forced deportation/expulsion upon arrival without respect for their right to seek asylum. The independent expert is very pleased with the good work carried out by the Mixed Migration Task Force (comprised of United Nations agencies and NGOs) and calls on international community to mobilize more funds in order for them to implement much-needed awareness-raising and protection strategies in the future. VI. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE 64. The provision of humanitarian assistance in south and central Somalia is still often problematic, and the ability of people in dire need to access humanitarian aid is hampered. Convoys delivering food and humanitarian assistance have been delayed by weeks and months and face illegal “taxation” at numerous temporary checkpoints. Food deliveries by ship have been hijacked by pirates in Somali waters and there are reports of theft of food from beneficiaries - particularly from minority groups - occurring during and immediately after food distribution. 65. Access to humanitarian assistance - such as food and basic amenities, water and sanitation, and primary medical care - is also compromised by threats and intimidation of aid personnel and the targeting of actual aid operations by various parties. In some places, aid vehicles have been shot and in the course of their work, humanitarian aid personnel are forced to navigate roads possibly mined or planted with improvised explosive devices. 66. During the independent expert’s mission, it was raised by some observers that the scale and magnitude of the human tragedy in Somalia justified a declaration of a state of emergency by the humanitarian community. It was underscored that the humanitarian needs of the civilian population, including now more than one million internally displaced persons and attacks against aid workers must be addressed and that all parties to the conflict must be pressed to preserve this vital humanitarian space. 67. The independent expert emphasized the need for the establishment of a standing dialogue/engagement mechanism for the United Nations to address humanitarian and human rights issues with the TFIs. He urges that this useful mechanism be put in place rapidly to foster understanding and communication on key human rights and humanitarian issues, possibly benefiting from the recent appointment of Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and a new TFG cabinet.