Somali PACE Project Second quartely report.

The Somali PACE Component operates under the overall PACE objective aiming at improving farmers' incomes and peoples' general living conditions by strengthening livestock services and hence improve and maintain animal health security. The three International Non Governmental Organisations Terra Nuova, UNA and VSF-Swiss, together with the CAPE Unit of OAU/IBAR are the implementers of the Somali PACE Project. Expatriate staff from these partners are coordinating and supervising field activities in co-operation with Somali veterinary professional staff at national as well as at zonal level. As from January 2002, EC allowed organizations to operate inside Somalia following the ban imposed as a result of the September 11thevents. PACE began its field-based activities from January 2002 with Somaliland, Puntland and Central Somalia bases becoming functional during the quarter. Somali PACE Project's Somali Coordination and Implementation Unit (SCIU) embarked on finalizing the recruitment of expatriate and Somali staff for the 4 zonal bases. In all zones, Somali national staff held sensitisation meetings with local authorities and veterinary professionals whereby a broad concept of the PACE project was explained and the groundwork prepared for the stakeholder workshops to be carried out in all 4 zones. All 4 stakeholder workshops were carried out with the launching of PACE in Somalia. In addition, the Central Zonal Livestock Professional Association CERELPA was inaugurated in Jowhar. The 4thzone, Southern Somalia, did not fully start as the 4th expatriate zonal veterinary advisor had been delayed due to visa problems to enter Kenya although some activities related to community based animal health services were carried out by the CAPE unit and a local veterinary association TRANSJULPA was formed by livestock professionals from Gedo, Lower and Middle Juba regions. As Somali PACE project operates in 4 zones, this report is presented by giving an overall summary of activities followed by section reports from each individual zone. Only the stakeholder workshops carried out in the 4 zones is presented as a joint report (see 4.1).