NATIONAL MEDIA
5 November – Source: Goobjoog – 174 Words
Somalia government set to send relief planes to flood-affected areas of Hiran, Bay and Gedo Region. According to reports, the specific towns that relief food should be distributed include Beledweyne, Bardhere and Bardale that have recently affected by the floods living approximately a thousand families. Shabelle and Juba rivers flooded in parts of South and Central Somalia, causing thousands of families to be displaced from their homes, which have experienced life situations and suffered from conditions in the area. Somali Minister of Information Mohamed Abdi Hirir Mareye said, “The government of Somalia will send a number of relief planes to towns that are affected by the floods, in fact, the people of Somalia are making an unprecedented effort inside and outside the country to respond to the flood-affected people in the region search like Garowe resident they have made a huge contribution to their brothers in Beledweyne.” The Federal Government of Somalia thanks to the international community and other countries that also played a good role to rescue and protect the lives of the people of Somalia.
5 November – Source: Goobjoog – 122 Words
The Armed Forces Court has charged eight men and a woman accused of being part of a terror group Al-Shabaab earlier this morning in Banadir Region. Ahmed Abdulkadir Ahmed was sentenced to life imprisonment, while another five members by the names Abdirahman Nur Mohamed Jimale, Safi Issei Awoh, Yasin Mohamed Abtidoon, Abdishakur Ali Mohamud and Farhan Adan Yusuf Wehliye has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. The court also sentenced Farhan Farah Mohamud Fiidow and Hassan Sheikh Abdullahi Abukar to eight years in prison according to their case. The military court has ordered Abdi Khadar Mire Ahmed to be released if there are no other crimes, Chief of the military Court of the Armed Forces Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shute has confirmed.
5 November – Garowe Online – 359 Words
A London-based TV channel has been put on notice by the Puntland government over misreporting on alleged insecurity and intimidation against local politicians and journalists, Garowe Online reports. In a recent programme dubbed “Public Opinion”, Universal TV accused President Deni of rejecting ‘accountability’ besides claiming that Somalia’s North-Eastern state is now struggling with ‘political instability and insecurity’. But in a rejoinder on Monday, Puntland Information Minister, Ali Hassan Sabarey dismissed the assertions as “pure fiction, baseless and motivated” saying under Deni’s leadership, liberalism has been embraced by the government. The Minister further insisted that freedom of speech has been guaranteed, adding that the Somali Federal Member State does not have political and journalist detainees. “There are no journalists and politicians intimidated or detained in Puntland,” he emphasized. “It’s a clear lie,” added Sabarey, the president is currently on a regional tour, reaching out to the people to listen to their concerns. “What we have in common with us is kept alive by us. We say the TV, check out all your facts about Puntland before you rush to the air. “President Deni’s administration is most ‘transparent and accountable,” he said……
4 November – Source: SJS – 690 Words
Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) strongly condemns the harassment, beating, shooting and confiscation of equipment against Al-Jazeera and Reuters journalists shortly after an assignment in Mogadishu on Monday 04 November 2019. Jama Nur Ahmed, Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent; Abdinasir Abukar Hared, Al-Jazeera cameraman; Omar Siyad, driver; Mohamed Ali Dahir, Al-Jazeera crew assistant; and Feisal Omar, Reuters journalist were returning from an assignment at Aden Adde International Airport where planes carrying humanitarian aid for the flood-affected regions in the country landed. Two pick-up trucks with armed police officers stopped the journalists’ car and immediately began harassing, beating and fired several bullets into the air while pointing guns at the journalists, the journalists told Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS). “We were driving through Zobbe junction when the two pick-up trucks with heavily armed police officers encountered us. Initially they pointed their guns at us and ordered our vehicle to be veered off the traffic but we told them that there was no space due to the heavy traffic,” Feisal Omar, Reuters photojournalist told SJS “It seems they recognized us as journalists after they have seen our cameras so they increased the harassment and fired into the air while pointing the guns towards us. ”
Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent, Jama Nur told SJS that one police officer pointed his pistol at him and threatened to shoot as a second officer attempted to forcibly open the driver’s door. When other journalist colleagues shouted for help, more officers came and threatened to shoot. “The first officer wanted to take me out of the car but my door was locked, he then went the driver’s side and attempted to open the door but I held the driver’s hand firmly so they could not snatch him,” Al-Jazeera TV correspondent, Jama Nur told SJS “The officer was loudly telling other officers that we were journalists and we were recording a video of the police which we did not do. They confiscated two of our cameras.” The Reuters photojournalist, Feisal Omar and Al-Jazeera cameraman, Abdinasir Abukar sustained slight bruises due to beatings. The two Al-Jazeera cameras were later returned to the journalists, according to Jama Nur Ahmed. Contacts at the Ministry of Information of the Federal Government of Somalia and the police chief’s office did not respond to SJS’s phone calls and text messages seeking a response…….
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
4 November – Source: FAO – 295 Words
The Deyr 2019 rains have so far been average to above average in many parts of the country apart from Bari, Nuugal and Mudug regions that have experienced below-average rains. The seasonal rains are expected to continue during November with moderate to heavy intensity. During the last week, several places across the country recorded Light to moderate rains. A few places in the coastal areas of Bari and Nugal regions experienced moderate to heavy rains in the last 24Hours which led to flash floods and destruction of properties and death of livestock. The cumulative rainfall forecast for the next three and seven days (Map 1 and 2) is calling for moderate to heavy rains across the country as well as within the Ethiopian highlands. Lower Juba and Bari regions may receive little or no rains.
Belet Weyne in Hiraan region has been at full bank level for the last 11 days leaving about 68% of the town underwater according to analysis from satellite images. Over the previous 24 hours, Bulo Burti reached the highest level in recent history. High levels and flooding in Belet Weyne and other areas along the Shabelle will be sustained in the next couple of days given the current situation and foreseen rains. There was a reduction of river levels along the Juba River with no flood risk over the last week following a decrease in rainfall activities. Flash floods are expected in low lying areas of Nuugal, Mudug, Bay and Bakool in the coming week given the rainfall forecast. Users are advised that this is a forecast, and at times there may be discrepancies between estimates and actual amounts of rainfall received. Information on the forecast and observed river levels are updated daily on this link: http://frrims.faoswalim.org.
4 November – Source: The Peninsula – 96 Words
Under the directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Qatar Fund for Development, in cooperation with the Standing Committee for Rescue and Relief Works and Humanitarian Aids, dispatched the first airlift to flood victims in the affected areas of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Some 42 tones of relief and medical supplies were dispatched to urgently alleviate the disaster and help people overcome the difficult humanitarian situation. This emergency relief and assistance come within the framework of the humanitarian role played by the State of Qatar to help the brothers in Somalia.
4 November – Source: Concern Worldwide – 407 Words
Since October, almost half a million people have been affected by heavy rainfall across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. In Kenya at least 100,000 people have been affected, with 29 deaths reported so far, and many thousands of people displaced. The rains have driven flash floods, mudslides and landslides in various counties, with Wajir county amongst the hardest-hit. Floods have damaged infrastructure, including roads and bridges, and access to food, education and healthcare has been hampered. The heavy rains follow a period of prolonged drought which saw the number of severely food insecure people in Kenya rise to 3.1 million Ethiopia has witnessed repeated episodes of flooding in its Afar, Oromia, SNNP and Somali regions. Reportedly, some 202,202 people have been displaced across the country, the majority in Somali region.
In Somalia, heavy rains continue to be recorded over south-eastern Ethiopia and southern parts of Somalia. The Juba and Shabelle rivers in Somalia have shown a 200% increase in normal flow in the past two weeks, which significantly increases the risk of flooding along the rivers. The UN reports that at least 182,000 people have been displaced. Three people, including two children under the age of 10, were reported to have drowned.
Concern’s response
In Somalia, Concern is seeking funds from Irish Aid to start early response activities to the ongoing flood crisis across South Central Somalia in order to mitigate the impact against the most vulnerable communities of Lower Shabelle. This will include working with the community to use sandbags to protect settlements from floodwaters where the bank of the river is damaged or weak. Concern will also distribute acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) kits, including water treatment tablets, jerry cans, soap and mosquito nets, together with an awareness campaign on AWD/cholera prevention to minimise the risk of an AWD/cholera and malaria outbreak. Concern will also work with local NGO partner SHACDO to continue collection and sharing of early warning information, such as flood alerts, in order to share with local communities. In addition, SHACDO will start disease surveillance through their clinics……
3 November – Source: Standard Media – 988 Words
In 2010, the Indian Ocean waters were a no go zone for merchant ships. Pirates ruled the waves and often, ships plying the lucrative and historic trade route would find themselves in the wrong hands. But as the lawlessness went on, one group of pirates found themselves on the wrong end of the gun barrel one night in September 2012. On this day, their seawater-beaten Kalashnikovs met their match and by the time dawn broke, most of them lay dead, with others scattered in the high seas. For the first time, the Sunday Standard can write about some never-revealed encounters between Kenya’s Naval force and the notorious pirates of the Indian Ocean. The night was pitch dark. The sea was choppy. Strong winds blew across the tide and waves broke their crest, furiously spraying salty water onto the deck of Kenya Navy Ship Galana, a 500 tonne, 300m feet Logistical Medium Landing warship under the command of Major Oscar Omahe. Because of the poor visibility occasioned by adverse effects of the weather, the naval vessel was cruising at some six knots, keeping the speeds low and navigating with instruments. “The lights on board were off and stationed officers were on high alert as they monitored their screens,” says the major. Galana was on official duty, patrolling some 21 nautical miles off Kilifi. “At times when the sea is really rough, monitors just show clutter and it becomes difficult to discern any definite shapes out at sea,” he says.
As if by instinct, the commander had posted lookouts on deck and it was these officers, armed with automatic assault rifles who spotted a boat fast approaching the ship from its starboard side at a direct collision course. True to their training, they fired a burst of rounds and the shots warned their colleagues who trooped to the deck toting their weapons at the ready. The fast-approaching speed boat had seven men who had done some quick arithmetic. A seizure of what appeared to them to be a large merchant ship would change their fortunes. Perhaps, from the sheer size of what lay before them, they could easily ask for $3 million (Sh300 million) as ransom, money that could change their collective destinies. All they needed, they thought, was the cover of darkness. Plus, hijacking ships was something they knew as well as the back of their hands.
Their normal modus operandi involved boarding ships using ropes attached with hooks, stealthily gaining height until they surprised those on board. On this day though, the pirates were more brazen. From nowhere they rammed the ship with their vessel. Then the tide of their night started to turn – horribly so. The first sound the pirates heard was a burst of gunfire. “They thought that it was a merchant ship security protocol, the type they easily outgun through a vicious gun battle,” Major Omahe says. So the pirates continued scaling the ship walls, undeterred. Upon boarding KNS Galana, a reception committee comprising of officers from the Kenya Navy were waiting with guns trained on them. Ready to fire. “It dawned on them that they had been outgunned, outnumbered and outmanoeuvred. They fired on impulse in an indiscriminate and panicky manner after realising that they had stumbled into a trap,” Major Omahe says…….
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“The United Nations and the World Bank are united with other partners to support the Government in the long-term development of Somalia. This includes diversification of people’s incomes and investments in healthcare. The National Resilience and Recovery Framework is at the centre of these joint efforts, and we can continue to make progress if we invest in these efforts now.”
4 November – Source: Reuters – 706 Words
Our recent joint mission to Somalia took place after news broke that the country’s main harvest was to be the worst since the 2011-2012 famine. But the data then also showed that a million fewer Somalis were a step away from starvation than had been projected three months earlier. So, what happened? Early warning systems worked and led to early action. Donor support and Government leadership enabled a massive scale-up of assistance. The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) quickly provided $42 million for the response, helping to catalyse more than a billion dollars in other funding. Over the past 30 years, climate change, among other factors, has made drought more frequent and intense in Somalia. A drought in East Africa can now be expected to occur every two to three years as opposed to roughly every seven years a decade ago. Drought is often followed by flooding when the rains do come. That means that poor families have less time to recover before the next shock occurs. While Somalia continues to make progress in developing its economy, including by diversifying its people’s livelihoods, it needs to do even more to prepare for inevitable shocks.
The United Nations and the World Bank are working together in three key ways to support Somalia in doing just that. First, we are developing opportunities to act even earlier. We are piloting new ways of using this information to trigger the release of funding to implement pre-agreed response plans. Once triggered, the funds will support interventions such as the distribution of drought-tolerant seeds and the provision of cash to help the vulnerable. Somalia is a front-runner in the roll-out of such anticipatory action as one of the first countries where the Famine Action Mechanism (FAM) framework – developed by the World Bank, the United Nations, NGOs and other partners – will be implemented. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is already piloting anticipatory action financing under this model, where CERF and other funding would be released when early warnings begin to escalate.
Second, the United Nations and the World Bank are united with other partners to support the Government in the long-term development of Somalia. This includes diversification of people’s incomes and investments in healthcare. The National Resilience and Recovery Framework is at the centre of these joint efforts, and we can continue to make progress if we invest in these efforts now. The expected normalization of Somalia’s relationships with international financial institutions following nearly 30 years outside the international financial system will help. The coming months will be critical for it to qualify for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative which will unlock further investment. Already underway is the World Bank’s “Shock Responsive Safety Net for Human Capital Project” which is helping to address the immediate food security and nutrition crisis. The World Food Programme and the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, are partnering in the project……… |
