Drought hits 2.4m Somalis

Somalia is suffering the effects of its worst drought in 36 years, with most areas of the country having received little rain for at least nine months.

 

Concern Worldwide 

With most areas of Somalia having received little rain for at least nine months, due to the La Niña phenomenon,the country is suffering the effects of its worst drought in 36 years. 

"Pastures are being depleted and animals are dying in their thousands," explains Sarah Robinson, Programme Adviser for Concern in Somalia.

"Already 2.4 million people have been drastically affected.  Many are dependent on their livestock for survival. Without them, they are left with nothing."

Children are being particularly affected by the lack of food and water; in some areas malnutrition is affecting over 30 percent of children, one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world. 

People in Somalia are no strangers to harsh conditions and since the 1990s have suffered the effects of civil war and successive droughts. Atpresent there are 1.46 million internally displaced people in Somalia, and over 650,000 Somali refugees in neighboring countries.

In addition to this adversity, the price of basic goods is rising and the cost of cereals has increased by up to 135% since last year.  "A trio of drought, conflict and increased prices is pushing Somalia towards a severe humanitarian crisis." states Ms Robinson.

Concern has decades of experience in Somalia and strong links with local communities.  "We are responding to this crisis, and reaching 100,000 of the most vulnerable people with clean water, food and nutritional care, but more needs to be done and greater funding is required if this disaster is to be managed," says Ms Robinson.

"It's not only Somalia that is badly affected," she adds.  "There are over 3 million affected by the drought, and in need of relief in Ethiopia too, whilst 2 million people in Kenya are facing critical conditions. "60,000 livestock in one area alone along the Kenyan-Ethiopian border have died in recent weeks." Concern is also responding to the crisis in Kenya and Ethiopia with similar programmes of water, nutrition and livestock protection.

 "As the drought intensifies enormous strain will be put on the people in The Horn of Africa. It's imperative that the international community act now to protect livelihoods and prevent the loss of life."

ENDS

Stigma, insecurity hold back HIV fight in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, 3 May 2011 (PlusNews) - Residents of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, are understandably more concerned with dodging bullets than avoiding HIV, but this lack of knowledge means widespread ignorance about HIV prevention, while people who are HIV-positive are often ostracized by their communities.

Today, Nasteho Farah Elmi is an active member of an organization for people living with HIV/AIDS, but six years ago, when her family found out she was HIV-positive, they sent her away.

"When my relatives found out... they gave me 50,000 Somali shillings [US$1.80] because they didn't have any idea about the disease; they thought it could even be transmitted by looking at me," Elmi told IRIN/PlusNews. "Moving from Afgoye [southern Somalia] to Mogadishu was strange because I didn't know where to live.

"By Allah's mercy I formed a Somali civil society organization named SOPHA [Ururka Faya-dhawrka Soomaaliyeed], which has supported me," she added. "Now I am married a man who has HIV too and we continue to live together here in Mogadishu."

According to local civil society organizations in Mogadishu, more than 300 HIV-positive individuals are registered and receiving care and support, including food supplements from the UN World Food Programme.

"Five places are testing [for HIV] in Mogadishu... people are referred for psycho-social support after they are diagnosed," said Mohamed Sa'id, social director of the local NGO, South Central People Living with HIV. "Our members include civil servants, soldiers and so on, but they are not known because if anyone knew them, we are afraid they will be discriminated against."

But it is particularly hard to work in areas of Mogadishu controlled by the Islamist insurgent group, Al-Shabab.

"We [SOPHA] have two centres; a treatment centre in Marka, in Lower Shabelle region and our head office is in Mogadishu's government-controlled areas," said Elmi. "In Al-Shabab-controlled areas, we can't hold workshops because they already prohibited international aid organizations to operate in areas they control in south-central Somalia. For this reason, we hold the workshops in the government areas."

According to Dahabo Abdi, a local journalist, the result is precious little HIV knowledge in the city. "The people of Mogadishu do not receive enough awareness, except sometimes radio stations speak about it," she said.

"We are not like [the self-declared republic of] Somaliland, where I have seen in the media that the people are discussing HIV/AIDS in public," said Osman Libah, deputy health minister of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government.

Nevertheless, Elmi remains optimistic that the limited work going on in Mogadishu is having some impact on the attitudes of the city's residents.

"Several years ago, people never welcomed us because of the stigma they have about the disease, but nowadays it seems that things are changing."

maj/kr/mw