Somalia: Donors Asked to Rescue Neglected South West
By George Okore
NAIROBI---The international community has been challenged to provide food and other relief supplies to the region of South West Somalia, which has been neglected despite the dire humanitarian situation there.
Speaking in Nairobi, the chairman of Peace and Development and Research Engineer Salah Shek Osman appealed to donors and relief agencies to assist South West Somalis, currently experiencing the worst drought in recent memory. He asked donor agencies to move fast and alleviate the biting humanitarian crisis in Bay, Bakool, Gedo, Upper and Lower Juba regions.
Flanked by several elders, the group said area residents are mainly pastoralists but with the current situation, even their economic mainstay- cows, goats and camels is at risk. “ Our people including the elderly, women and children walk several kilometers in search of food and water with some dying on the way. We need our dignity and pride and the international cocmmunity must act fast.”
The group asked the international community to urgently create further space for delivery of the much‐needed humanitarian assistance to residents of South West Somali, who are particularly affected by the current drought and famine. They expressed deep concerns over humanitarian emergency in the region. A large-scale international response is underway to prevent the further decline of an already dire situation, but there will be no quick fix. The said many residents are fleeing to Mogadishu to take advantage of the relative security prevailing in the city and to get access to relief supplies.
International Community Empowerment and Pastoralists Education Programme (ICE-PEP) said severe drought and famine in the region has led to several deaths, especially in IFO refugee camp. Engineer Salah said area residents continue to suffer and urged international community to move fast and help. He said people make long treks to urban centers and refugee camps in search of supplies. “Where supplies exists, the groups says its selective exercise not reflecting the nomad life of pastoralists while many are still held hostage by Al Shabbab and continue to suffer from hunger”, he said .
Engineer Salah said there is increasingly large daily influx of refugees to Baidoa, putting strong pressure on the remittances from Somalis in the Diaspora. “We are particularly worried about the plight of elderly people, women and children who are forced to migrate over long distances. The situation is particularly dire in Warmoley and Baidoa refugee camp and Baidoa hospital,” Engineer Salah said in Nairobi Thursday.
The delegation said the local hospital in Baidoa, though funded by international organizations, was mismanaged and dilapidated meaning that funds are not used to for the purposes they were intended for. They argue that the hospital funds are controlled by an individual from another area who does not care for the institution. Consequently, they want international community to channel funds to facilitate operations of Baidoa hospital through appropriate agencies with foot on the ground and belonging to the people of the region.
The group says the support from international community to the region is inadequate and are urging for support and effective engagement of youths to deter them from deviant behaviors. He expressed fears that youths in the region would join the Al Shabbab in order to provide for their families.
The Executive Director Hussein Osman urged the international community to consider long-term plan for the prevailing crisis, saying limiting relief aid to refugee camps encourages immigration and raising further storm. The groups urged for new food distribution strategies in Baidoa region to provide food for those unable to reach refuge camps. “With famine further compounding their suffering, the international community ought urgently to take the required steps to build on this achievement in order to help bring about the peace and stability which have eluded the Somalis for over two decades”, he said.