In late 1997, southern and central Somalia were hit by unprecedented floods affecting the lives and livelihoods of an estimated one million people. This Evaluation reviews Phase I of the international response to the floods - the Somalia Inter-Agency Flood Response Operation - between November and 3 1st December 1997. The Inter-Agency Flood Response Operation was a complex and expensive logistics operation to distribute emergency assistance to scattered and isolated flood affected populations. It was also a test of the international humanitarian system's capacity to respond to an acute emergency in a country which has been without a government for six years.br Overall, Phase I of the Somalia Inter-Agency Flood Response Operation is evaluated as a success. Humanitarian agencies in Somalia demonstrated their capacity and capability to respond to short term humanitarian needs. While the initial objective of the operation to 'rescue' flood affected populations was not fulfilled, the objectives to ameliorate the immediate humanitarian effects of the floods and avert a nutritional and health crisis in the worst affected areas were, by and large, achieved. The opportunity was taken to apply past lessons learned from working in Somalia, and innovative programming was apparent in several areas. The inter-agency character of the operation was commendable and the level of codment and collaboration that was achieved establishes an important precedent for future humanitarian operations in Somalia. This report seeks to record these achievements, as well as identify areas where the humanitarian system in Somalia could be strengthened.