Mogadishu 2012 - Nutrition Items (Supplementary Plumpy) stored in the MSU.
The Somalia Logistics Cluster was activated in 2011 in response to the severe drought in east Africa. As part of the Logistics Cluster’s response, in order to assist the humanitarian community in Somalia, a contingency stock of five Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) was procured from the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) Unit in Dubai in 2011. It was intended that these MSUs would be used as needed to provide additional storage capacity, quickly available for use by partners and capable of being deployed to any location where they may be required.
In October 2012, in response to a request from Save the Children, the Somalia Logistics Cluster leased one MSU free of charge. This MSU will be used in Mogadishu to store items necessary for the implementation of Save the Children’s Nutrition Programmes in the area, serving an estimated 2,000 beneficiaries per month.
Mogadishu 2012 - The MSU leased by Save the Children is erected.
The Logistics Cluster, through WFP, was able to provide technical guidance to Save the Children for the setting up of the MSU. WFP Staff in Mogadishu demonstrated the process of assembling the MSU correctly and were on hand to provide guidance on the building of a raised MSU base with adequate drainage. Additionally, the Somalia Logistics Cluster coordinator, as part of a mission to Mogadishu Port in October 2012 to assess logistics bottlenecks and port congestion, was able to follow-up on the handover of the MSU to Save the Children.
Mogadishu Port 2012 - Handover of MSU to Save the Children.
The adaptability of the MSUs provides a great deal of flexibility, and is ideal for use by Logistics Cluster partners; particularly in this context. The ease with which they can be transported and erected in a variety of locations, makes the MSU an excellent option for humanitarian organisations operating in an unpredictable environment. As conditions on the ground change, and access to affected populations changes, these MSUs can be picked up by Logistics Cluster partners from Mogadishu port and set-up by the partners where ever they may be needed. One additional MSU is now being leased to Save the Children in November 2012, in support of its Shelter and Education Programmes.
For further information on these MSUs, including technical guidelines and lease procedures, an MSU Snapshot is available on the Logistics Cluster website: http://www.logcluster.org/ops/som11a/snapshot-somalia-MSUs-121114/view