NATIONAL MEDIA
2 September – Source: Halbeeg – 137 Words
Somalia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad, met with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), James Swan in Mogadishu on Monday. The two diplomats discussed prospects of cooperation between the Federal Republic of Somalia and the United Nations. Ambassador Awad and Mr. Swan also discussed the latest political and security developments in the country. Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, ambassador Ahmed Isse Awad reiterated his country’s support for the efforts of the Special Representative and the UN plan of action in Somalia. Somalia ordered the former UN special representative, Nicholas Haysom to leave the country on persona non grata on eve of the new year accusing him of interfering in the domestic affairs of the state.
3 September – Source: Hiiraan Online – 320 Words
Somali students wishing to study in UK universities under the coveted Chevening Scholarship programme have until November 5 to send in their applications for the 2020/21 academic year, the British Embassy in Mogadishu has said. According to the embassy, eligible candidates, who must have an excellent academic background, good command of the English language and leadership skills are required to file their applications for consideration. British Ambassador to Somalia Ben Fender announced the slots for Somalia had doubled this year and called on Somalis to take advantage of the scholarship. “Since we started the scheme in Somalia, over 50 Somalis have won awards. This year we have doubled the number of scholars. In the next few weeks, eleven more will be heading to the UK. Many past scholars now play leading roles in Somali public life,” said ambassador Fender. The UK ambassador also encouraged women and persons from less represented segments of society to apply. “You, of course, need an excellent academic background and English, but also initiative, leadership skills and a strong commitment to public service. We’re especially keen on applications from women and members of groups who are under-represented in public life.”……
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
2 September – Source: IGAD – 695 Words
An estimated 27 million people – or 24% of the total food insecure people in the world– lived in seven of the eight countries in the IGAD region, according to a new report released by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Food Security Information Network (FSIN). A regional first, the report draws special attention to the plight of millions of people experiencing acute levels of food and nutrition insecurity in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda. According to the report, there were three main drivers of food insecurity in East Africa: climatic shocks, conflict and economic instability.
The worst-affected countries in 2018 in terms of acute food insecurity were Ethiopia (8.1 million), Sudan (6.2 million) and South Sudan (6.1 million). In South Sudan, 59% of the population, or six out of ten people required urgent assistance to protect livelihoods, reduce food consumption gaps and malnutrition. In Somalia, more than one in five people (or 22% of the population) were acutely food insecure. “The main drivers of acute food insecurity and malnutrition in our region are climate, conflict and economic instability. I call on IGAD specialized offices, Member States and partners to invest further in resilience, adaptation to climate change, conflict prevention and sustaining peace to overcome vulnerability and address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition” said Ambassador (Eng.) Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Executive Secretary at the launch.
The regional report serves as an important milestone towards delivering the commitment of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to fight acute hunger and malnutrition in the region. It is based on the third annual Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2019) [Link] produced by the FSIN, a global initiative to improve food security and nutrition measurement and analysis, co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The report was made possible by collaborative efforts between IGAD and agencies in the international humanitarian and development community, who shared data, analysis, knowledge and expertise regarding people facing food crises……..
31 August – Source: Somali Young Doctors Association – 368 Words
An estimated 1.5 million Somalis are in need of urgent life-saving food assistance, 58 per cent of whom are internally displaced people (IDPs) – a particularly vulnerable group that largely depends on aid due to losses of livelihood systems and marginalization. The displacement figure has surged by over 1.5 million since November 2016, bringing the total estimated IDP population figure to 2.6 million people. Overall, the nutrition status of children under the age of five has remained largely unchanged, despite the improvement in food security, with children consistently constituting more than half of the overall people in need. Malnutrition rates remain high, especially among the highly-vulnerable IDP population. Treatment and nutrition support is needed for approximately 294,000 acutely malnourished children, including 55,000 who are severely malnourished. The situation may worsen as a lack of funding is limiting the availability of public health and nutrition services.
Also of concern are rural populations in the north-east, which received slightly below- to near-average Gu rains in 2018. These rains offered limited improvements in areas where people are chronically food insecure. Rural populations which had suffered the brunt of damage/losses due to drought are also extremely vulnerable. Livelihood losses (e.g. ruined harvests, lost livestock etc.) and debt, incurred over multiple seasons, have left rural communities without means to recover. They, therefore, remain very vulnerable to future shocks. Without humanitarian assistance, the food security situation is expected to deteriorate to Emergency (IPC Phase 4) in the Guban pastoral livelihood zone and to Crisis (IPC Phase 3) in the Northern Inland Pastoral zone of Sool and Sanaag. Those facing acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3), or worse, urgently need humanitarian assistance and livelihood support for the remainder of the year. Integrated support interventions should be sustained to maintain recent improvements, as well as to prevent further deterioration in the nutrition situation.
However, SOYDA has been providing an integrated package of nutrition, Food Security, Education, WASH, protection, and health intervention in both Mogadishu IDPs as well as the Afgooye corridor district. SOYDA shall, however, continue its program implementation to enable reduce the vulnerability as well as provide improved lifesaving Health, Nutrition, WASH, Food Security, Protection and Education services.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
About 3,000 families live here. We have recorded another one hundred houses which have already developed cracks and are about to collapse, but these people have nowhere else to go,” he said.
2 September – Source: Radio Ergo – 486 Words
At least 47 people have been left homeless after their houses in a donor-funded housing scheme in southern Somalia’s port city of Kismayo collapsed. Muslima Ali Adan has been sleeping in a shanty since 8 July, after her house in Kismayo’s Madina neighbourhood of Kismayo collapsed on her and her five children. Her daughter, aged 11, was admitted to Kismayo district hospital after sustaining back injuries. She spent six days in the hospital, where treatment was free but she had to buy medicines.
Muslima told Radio Ergo that her house had been developing cracks for months. They informed the camp leader, who reported to the aid agencies involved in the housing project. “The cracks started some months back with the door and windows gradually falling apart. Then came a night when the whole structure caved in, injuring my daughter,” Muslima said. “Since then we have [been] living in this makeshift hut made of sticks and cartons.”
Muslima, who arrived in Kismayo in 2011 after her livestock died in the drought, said a well-wisher living nearby had promised to buy iron sheets and wood for her to build a single room. “We still need help, apart from that pledge I have nothing else. I sleep in this hut,” she said. Muslima was among the beneficiaries of a housing project for displaced families implemented by aid agencies in 2016 inMidnimo and Madina neighbourhoods.
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)is one of the agencies involved in the housing project. NRC built 750 of the 950 houses in Madina. Abdullahi Omar Kaynan, head of NRC in Jubbaland, explained that the houses were meant to be temporary or transitional structures, pending the acquisition of title deeds for the land by the authorities to enable the construction of permanent houses “During the construction of these houses, the cost of each house was $950 and the families were informed that the houses were not permanent,” Abdullahi said.
Osman KalilOkash, the chairperson of Midnimo, said that 37 houses had collapsed and that others were looking precarious. “About 3,000 families live here. We have recorded another one hundred houses which have already developed cracks and are about to collapse, but these people have nowhere else to go,” he said. The chairman said the houses did not have strong stone foundations and had started developing cracks almost immediately after they were built due to the lack of adequate cement used in the concrete
Repair work is being undertaken on the damaged houses. Meanwhile, however, residents like Amina KowsowKalil, 17, has had to seek shelter with her siblings at a relative’s home in the city. Their house in Midnimo collapsed in July. “One of the walls of the house collapsed at night but luckily we were not hurt,” Amina said. She told Radio Ergo that her father, who earns a living with a donkey cart, does make enough money to rebuild the house. Their mother died last year. |
