March 30, 2017 | Morning Headlines
Dahabshiil Lobbies Muslims To Help Starving Somalis
29 March – Source : Daily Nation – 345 Words
Africans living overseas have been challenged to assist their countrymen back on the continent facing starvation due to prolonged drought. Dahabshiil Chief Executive Officer Abdirashid Duale, on Tuesday called on the international community to continue assisting African countries worst hit by the devastating drought. Speaking while he attended the Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2017, to celebrate Muslim contribution to British society and recognise leading examples of good practice, excellence and future role models, Mr Duale said the drought has had far reaching consequences on the African continent.
“As we reflect on the fantastic achievements, we must not forget the situation currently affecting the communities in the Horn of Africa. The effects of a devastating drought mean that millions of people require aid,” he said. He added: “A united effort from the international community, together with Muslims at home and abroad, to bring aid to vulnerable communities and build stability in the country is what’s needed to ensure this new chapter in Somali history is a prosperous one.” Dahabshiil recently committed to providing $300,000 to drought response activities in the acutely affected regions of Hiiraan, Bay, Bakool and Gedo.
This is in addition to $1 million of support provided by the company over the last six months, largely to Somali-led drought relief committees on the ground. Dahabshiil handles the majority of UK money transfers to the Horn of Africa. Mr Duale met with Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, at the event to discuss the importance of remittances not only to communities in poorer regions but also to the diaspora communities who send money back to them.
Key Headlines
- Dahabshiil Lobbies Muslims To Help Starving Somalis (Daily Nation)
- Kenya Holds Ceremony To Welcome First Direct Flight From Mogadishu In 10 Years (Radio Dalsan)
- Somalia’s Drought Once Again Has Thousands On The Move (Associated Press)
- Nalo Musdhaf Remains Hopeful In The Face Of Severe Drought (UNSOM)
- Even Camels Dying In Somali Drought (VOA)
- Somalia Welcomes Turkish Aid As Famine Takes Hold (Anadolu Agency)
- Somaliland: ‘I Convinced My Sister Not To Do Type III FGM On Her Daughter’ (The Guardian)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Kenya Holds Ceremony To Welcome First Direct Flight From Mogadishu In 10 Years
29 March – Source : Radio Dalsan – 422 Words
Direct flights between Mogadishu and Nairobi resumed today with the first commercial plane carrying 49 passengers from the Somali capital landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) shortly after 1.00 p.m.The re-launch of direct flights between Nairobi and Mogadishu was agreed upon at bilateral talks between Kenya and Somalia that were led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed during his first State Visit to Kenya last week. Cabinet Secretaries James Macharia (Transport) and Joseph Nkaissery (Interior) were at hand to receive the first flight, marking the resumption of direct flights from Mogadishu to Nairobi after close to 10 years suspension.
CS Macharia said the historic resumption of direct flights between the two cities signalled a revitalization of cooperation between the two neighbouring countries, brimming with optimism that it would also enhance trade. “For us in the transport sector, we have always been working to boost Nairobi’s position as a regional aviation hub,” said the Transport Cabinet Secretary. For the last 10 years, flights from Mogadishu were landing at Wajir airport for thorough screening and vetting of passengers before proceeding to Nairobi. “With the opportunities available in the region and the improved security environment and stability following the recent election of President Mohamed, the resumption of direct flights could not have come at a better time,” said CS Macharia. CS Macharia said before the re-launch of the direct flights, the Government security agencies formed a multi agency team which travelled to Mogadishu to assess the security situation of the airport.
This was followed by the setting up of robust security arrangements at Mogadishu airport to oversee the flight routes and departure procedures in order to ensure the safety of passengers travelling between the two countries. The Transport CS added that the various United Nations agencies operating out of Nairobi expressed satisfaction with the security measures put in place and support the re-opening of the route. The said UN agencies have been yearning for the resumption of direct flights in order to enhance their operations between Mogadishu and Nairobi. On his part, CS Nkaissery said robust security measures have been put in place in Mogadishu airport to ensure the safety of aircrafts. He said Kenya and the Somali Governments have put a team in Mogadishu to oversee the security of the airport. “Here in Nairobi at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, we have taken the necessary steps to ensure that all aircrafts are fully inspected so that the status of our airport is not compromised,” said CS Nkaissery.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Somalia’s Drought Once Again Has Thousands On The Move
29 March – Source : Associated Press – 631 Words
Tears fill Sahra Muse’s eyes as she stares at her severely malnourished son, his thin arms crossed over his bloated stomach. Before he succumbed to hunger, 7-year-old Ibrahim Ali had helped his mother herd the family’s 30 cows on their farm in Toratorow, a village in Lower Shabelle region. But the family lost all they had to the growing drought. The 32-year-old Muse walked for three days to reach this wind-swept camp 13 kilometers (8 miles) south of Somalia’s capital earlier this week, leaving behind her other three children and their father.
“Life is becoming so hard. We have nothing to survive, and I don’t know how long he will survive,” Muse said of her son. She sat in a small hut made of sticks. Rubbing her bloodshot eyes, she said the boy’s cries had kept her awake for days. The Garasbaley camp was set up by local villagers to help the desperate but they are waiting for an international agency to provide food to help the hungry.
With no food at the camp and no money for transport, Muse is preparing another day’s hike to the capital, Mogadishu, to help her son. He survived the 2011 drought that killed roughly a quarter of a million people in Somalia and she is desperate to save him again. Somalia’s current drought is threatening half of the country’s population, or about 6 million people, according to the United Nations. Aid agencies have scaled up efforts but say more support is urgently needed.
Nalo Musdhaf Remains Hopeful In The Face Of Severe Drought
29 March – Source : UNSOM – 619 Words
Nalo Nuura Musdhaf, 26, could not bear the pain of losing one of her children to hunger and had to flee her home in Maayla-Murug, in Lower Shabelle region, before another one died. Ms. Musdhaf is one of the recent arrivals in the Al-Adala camp located at Mogadishu’s kilometer 13. Forced to leave her home to seek food and shelter elsewhere, she arrived at the camp on 25 March, with her three daughters and son. Her eldest child just turned eight, while the youngest is only three years old.
Before leaving Maayla-Murug, Ms. Musdhaf lost not only her daughter but also her grandfather and uncle who both succumbed to hunger. “Since the drought began, I lost my daughter, my uncle and my grandfather. I fled with my family following their painful deaths. There was hunger and thirst. There was no water to drink or even for washing. That is why we fled,” she explains. She buried her daughter on March 21, four days before arriving at the camp. However, her 30-year-old husband, Siidow Ibrahim, decided to stay behind to take care of the homestead and also recover from ill health.
Ms. Musdhaf and her children are among the 295 families who arrived recently, joining the 1,114 already living in the camp. The cramped makeshift shelters made from wooden splinters and polypropylene bags continue to fill the empty spaces as the numbers of internally displaced persons continue to increase. The camp currently survives on donations from local residents and businesses and is in dire need of additional humanitarian aid. Despite the challenges, Musdhaf is grateful for whatever she is receiving from well-wishers, describing the assistance as life-saving.
Even Camels Dying In Somali Drought
29 March – Source : VOA – Video – 01:59 Minutes
Camels are used to desert conditions but the severe drought in Somalia and breakaway Somaliland is taxing even these hardy animals. Thousands have died this year, dealing a major blow to herders who depend on camels for transportation, for milk, for meat and as pack animals. VOA’s Abdulaziz Osman spoke with some of the herders and filed this report from the Somaliland capital, Hargeisa
Somalia Welcomes Turkish Aid As Famine Takes Hold
29 March – Source : Anadolu Agency – 471 Words
The “Turkish model” of delivering humanitarian aid should be emulated by other donor states, the Somali envoy to Ankara said Wednesday. Charge d’affaires Abdulkadir Muhammad Nur said Turkish aid and development projects in the war-torn Horn of Africa state had provided a blueprint for assistance as Somalia faces a devastating drought. “TIKA, AFAD, the Red Crescent and other NGOs… are continuing to provide assistance to the region and there are big projects prepared by TIKA for water storage systems in drought-stricken areas,” Nur said, referring to Turkey’s main aid and development agencies.
“They have been working for a long time and are continuing their aid activities. Turkey is always working for Somalia and the Turks are carrying out the most effective aid work in Somalia.” Four countries — Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen — currently face famine, putting more than 20 million lives at risk, according to the UN.
In Somalia, which faced its last famine six years ago, the lack of water has led to crop failure, the death of livestock and an outbreak of deadly diseases. In addition, the al-Shabaab terror group continues to have a destabilizing effect on the country. “We can say that the latest situation in Somalia is really bad,” Nur told Anadolu Agency. “This affects about 3 million people. In 2011, many people lost their lives due to drought.” Nur highlighted the response of Turkish Airlines to the impending emergency as a further example of Turkey’s help. The airline is the only company to fly international passenger flights to Mogadishu and earlier this month a social media campaign called on it to help provide aid.
OPINION, ANALYSIS, AND CULTURE
“The first thing I did as a campaigner is convince my sister not to do Type III FGM on her daughter. I told her about the side effects and I also made her listen to Islamic scholars that are against the practice to show her that FGM is not religious. After a lot of negotiation, she agreed and didn’t do it. I am proud of that.”
Somaliland: ‘I Convinced My Sister Not To Do Type III FGM On Her Daughter’
29 March – Source : The Guardian – 654 Words
In Somaliland, Unicef estimates that about 98% of girls and women between 15 and 49 are subjected to some form of female genital mutilation almost a despairing figure. This is largely an issue in the hands of women, and not something openly discussed. Yet Unicef believes it is vital that men are part of any solution. Young men in the region who are against the practice are forming a growing movement for change, but the drought crisis is dominating people’s lives right now.
Khadar, 24: “The first thing I did as a campaigner is convince my sister not to do Type III FGM on her daughter. I told her about the side effects and I also made her listen to Islamic scholars that are against the practice to show her that FGM is not religious. After a lot of negotiation, she agreed and didn’t do it. I am proud of that.” Khadar, is now working as a project coordinator for ActionAid. He was trained by the indigenous-Somali organisation Candlelight. “Men, in general do not speak about FGM. It remains a taboo,” he says. “Men here are the heads of the household and this means they can play an important role in ending FGM, if they chose to.”
While studying at the University of Hargeisa, Khadar was exposed to the realities and consequences of FGM on women’s health. “Once I realised the psychological and physical trauma, I was against it.” He became an anti-FGM ambassador at his university and felt more confident in challenging some of his peers. “When I tell others all the facts, especially young people, they are easily convinced. Lack of knowledge is the reason FGM is still practiced in Somaliland. I am confident that FGM can be eradicated in one generation.”
Mohamed, 23: Sitting opposite him drinking spiced tea, Mohamed nods his heads in agreement. “Our parents’ generation really didn’t talk about FGM but now, you know, we speak about it among our friends. This will make a big difference.” Also trained by Candlelight, Mohamed has embraced social media to campaign. “Men have seen first hand the impact of FGM on their wives. In some, lesser ways, men have been affected too. Many say that they struggle because they see their wife in pain and cannot have sex with them. They see that FGM takes away all sexual pleasure for women. They want their wives to have pleasure too. And so largely, they are against it.