December 14, 2016 | Morning Headlines

Main Story

Cholera Leaves 200 In Jowhar Hospitalised

13 December – Source: Goobjoog News – Words

Two Hundred people have been admitted to Jowhar hospital following a cholera outbreak in the Southern Somalia region of Middle Shabelle. The director of Jowhar General Hospital, Omar Sheikh linked the outbreak to poor hygiene and the ongoing heavy rains. “We have noticed symptoms of cholera which is a normal infection and as we continue treating the patients they are getting better as we are giving them antibiotics and lots of fluids,” he said. Fifty five patients are currently receiving treatment at the Hospital’s special ward. More suspected and unconfirmed cases have also been detected in other parts of the district. “We are still at the early stage of the outbreak,” he warned. He said diarrhoea is normally experienced during rainy seasons as people tend to drink dirty water from rooftops. He was optimistic that they will end the problem within the next two weeks.

Another medical officer at the hospital said the number of patients was increasing daily. “We have just received 30 patients today alone and the isolation ward is full forcing us to set beds in the corridors to accommodate the increasing number,” said the medical officer. He said the cholera outbreak had been caused by poor hygiene and contamination in illegal food kiosks that use contaminated water. He said the bad hygiene, coupled with poor waste disposal, were some of the factors contributing to cholera in the town. Cholera is transmitted through drinking water or eating food contaminated with faeces or dirty hands. After a short incubation period of two to five days, the disease causes severe diarrhoea, draining the body of its water. The sudden and dramatic loss of fluid is often fatal.

Key Headlines

Cholera Leaves 200 In Jowhar Hospitalised (Goobjoog News)
Fear Tension Prevail In Mataban Ahead Of Military Offensive (Garowe Online)
Al-Shabaab Kills Electoral Delegates Near Haradheere (Shabelle News)
Puntland Elected Seven Female MPs Out Of 10 Seats Allocated For Women (Goobjoog News)
United Nations Welcomes New Somalia Poll Plan (The East African)
Corruption Prevents Agencies From Delivering Aid To Those Most In Need In Somalia Warns NGO (IBTimes)

NATIONAL MEDIA

Fear, Tension Prevail In Mataban Ahead Of Military Offensive

13 December- Source: Garowe Online – 123 Words

A tense situation was reported in central Somalia after the moderate Islamist group Ahlu Sunna deployed its fighters in Mataban district in Hiiraan region, Garowe Online reports. Sources in the town told Garowe Online that residents have began fleeing from their houses in fear of an imminent attack to retake the town by forces from the newly formed Hirshabelle state. Ahlu Sunna reinforcements from the central Galgadud region poured into the town in large numbers, in preparation for a combat against the advancing Hirshabelle state forces. Mataban has been under Ahlu Sunna group since 2008.The regional administrations of Galmudug and Hirshabelle troops in central Somalia are fighting Al-Shabaab militant group and Ahlu Sunna who are controlling swathes of land in central Somalia.

Al-Shabaab Kills Electoral Delegates Near Haradheere

13 December – Source: Shabelle News – 131 Words

Al-Shabaab militants have executed two electoral delegates near the coastal city of Haradheere in Mudug region in central Somalia, the latest in string of attacks against elders voted for the new MPs. Radio Shabelle’s correspondent in central Somalia said the two elders were killed by Al-Shabaab as they returned from Adado city, the interim capital of Galmudug state where they took part lower house polls. One of the slain electoral delegates was identified as Hassan Mohamed Nur, according to our reporter. The execution of the elders occurred at areas located in the outskirts of Harardhere. Al-Shabaab did not comment on the murder of the men, but their death has sent a wave of shock among the local residents who are in panic after the killing of the electoral delegates.

Puntland Elected Seven Female MPs Out Of 10 Seats Allocated For Women

13 December – Source: Goobjoog News – 223 Words

Puntland, a regional state in Northern Somalia has preserved 30% of the seats allocated for women amid the lower house elections concluded on Monday. Seven female members of the Lower House have been elected in Puntland state, out of an allocation of 10 seats, according to State-level Indirect Electoral Implementation team (SIEIT). SIEIT chairman, Khaliif Aw Ali, who spoke to the media said over two third of the seats allocated for women have been achieved. He said SIEIT has worked hard to convince the clans with seats given for only women to contest. “We have successfully managed to have seven seats for women after long struggle, some clans objected to the 30% women quota, but they have been convinced to accept the process,” said Ali. The parliamentary elections in Puntland state was concluded on Monday with the election of all 37 lawmakers representing the state in the upcoming Lower House chamber of Federal Parliament. NLF agreed that each of the four clans in Somalia will be required to produce 18 female members for the Lower House while the smaller clans will be allocated nine seats. It also resolved that the election of the Upper House be conducted in the regional state parliaments. International community has played a crucial role in advancing the rights of women in Somalia, by lobbying for the increased participation of Somali women in leadership.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

United Nations Welcomes New Somalia Poll Plan

13 December – Source: The East African – 461 Words

The United Nations on Friday welcomed Somalia’s latest rescheduling of an election that was initially set for August and subsequently postponed three times. The strife-ridden country’s leaders said on Thursday that parliamentary elections must be completed by December 22, with MPs then choosing a president by December 28. A UN statement in response to questions from The EastAfrican expressed understanding for the repeated delays in concluding an election involving only a tiny fraction of Somalia’s population. “There was always a possibility of some slippages in the timelines of the electoral process, given that this unprecedented and unique electoral model has faced some daunting logistical and technical challenges in a country that is emerging from a quarter-century of armed conflict,” said Joseph Contreras, spokesman for the UN Mission in Somalia. “One of the many positive aspects of the 2016 electoral process,” Mr Contreras said, “is Al-Shabaab’s failure until now to disrupt the selection of electoral college delegates and the election of parliamentary candidates with a major attack on a polling site.”

The Mogadishu-based spokesman attributed the safeguarding of the polls to “close co-operation between Somali security forces and the military and police contingents of the African Union Mission in Somalia, with support from international partners.” While the Islamist insurgents have so far been unable to make good their threats of disruption, the protracted electoral process has been marred by numerous allegations of corruption and intimidation. The credibility of the results will ultimately hinge on the effectiveness of the country’s Independent Electoral Dispute Resolution Mechanism, Mr Contreras said. This body is responsible for investigating complaints of vote fraud and for resolving disputes. The mechanism has the ability to “take appropriate action in the worst instances of electoral abuse and malpractice,” the UN spokesman added.

OPINION , CULTURE & ANALYSIS

“Corruption affects all sectors in southern Somalia – and humanitarian assistance is no exception. But this is not a reason to reduce aid funding, rather it is a call to strengthen measures to mitigate the risks and ensure that the resources are used for their intended purpose: to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable,”

Corruption Prevents Agencies From Delivering Aid To Those Most In Need In Somalia, Warns NGO

13 December – Source: IBTimes – 405 Words

The Somali government, donors and humanitarian agencies are failing to address corruption when delivering aid across the war-torn country, a prominent NGO has said. While Somalia continues to be on a positive political trajectory after decades of political turmoil, the United Nations (UN) in September said that the number of Somalis facing hunger had risen to five million, or 40% of the population, due to failed rains and subsequent drought and poor harvest, floods, ongoing conflict and continued displacement of millions in the country. Some 320,000 children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, of which 50,000 are severely malnourished. Transparency International, the global anti-corruption organisation, on 13 December warned that, in order to ensure humanitarian assistance and livelihood support reaches those most in need in southern Somalia, integrity of Somalia’s humanitarian sector must be strengthened.

The second-to-lowest ranked on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, corruption is deeply entrenched in Somalia’s economy and society including the humanitarian sector, the NGO said in its latest report. “Corruption affects all sectors in southern Somalia – and humanitarian assistance is no exception. But this is not a reason to reduce aid funding, rather it is a call to strengthen measures to mitigate the risks and ensure that the resources are used for their intended purpose: to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable,” Samuel Kimeu, Transparency International Kenya’s executive director, said. Corruption risks span all aspects of aid, including the identification of local partners and awarding of contracts to private contractors and humanitarian agencies, when contracts values may also be inflated to include kickbacks. The most commonly acknowledged areas of risk and corruption remains the selection of aid recipients, whereby geographic areas or family and friends are favoured, effectively creating so-called “ghost” beneficiaries.