This image is from 1992, a year after the countries central government fell. However the picture of the children in Somalia today has changed little since.
2010 will surely be known as the year that disaster struck Haiti, as the impoverished nation was rocked to it’s knees on January 12th. However while all eyes continue to be focused on Haiti’s aftermath, Somalia continues to cry out. In July last year in July I published, Will we remember Somalia?, at the time which I stated;
“… it appears that we have, as children continue to live in the country dubbed by UNICEF as ‘the worst place in the world for children’. The country’s future state continues to remain a volatile hotbed for violence, and the future of the countries children remains bleak.”
The previous piece was a followup to the November 2008 piece, Have We Forgotten Somalia?. Sadly I find myself once again writing about Somalia, and again I find myself with the same answer to both questions. It appears in so many ways that we have forgotten Somalia, and when we look around to see who’s eyes are watching, it appears painfully obvious that far too few are casting a glance in the crumbling countries direction.
Somalia has one of the highest levels of malnutrition in the world, with an estimated 240,000 children under 5 years of age in Somalia being acutely malnourished, of which 63,000 are severely malnourished, according to an early warning report published on 1 February by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit for Somalia (FAO/FSNAU) and FEWSNET. What is most alarming about these numbers is how much they gave grown in only a few years, as in 2008 FSNAU also conducted a study, which at that time estimated that nearly 180,000 children in Somalia were acutely malnourished, among which 25,000 were severely malnourished.
With hospitals lacking supplies, and some collapsing altogether, hope for child survival becomes bleak. One hospital in Galkayo, which is struggling to serve internally displaced persons (IDPs), has launched a desperate campaign to secure supplies and equipment. Abdullahi Hirsi Jestro, a doctor, said those the “displaced women, children and elderly and the very poor. Those are the ones this hospital is meant to help.” ‘The operating theatre is just one of the facilities in the 70-bed hospital that needs to be re-equipped. “Almost all departments from the children’s wing to the maternity ward need [supplies],” said Maimun Farah, the hospital director.’ (IRIN)
The year began for the children of Somalia, as the previous one had ended. As fighting in the fragile country has once again escalated, children are left even more vulnerable, as displacement and violence continue to hinder aid efforts.
“I honestly cannot remember when things have been so bad; it is as if all the negative things are coming together at one time,” civil society activist Asha Sha’ur said. “If the situation – both security and humanitarian – does not improve soon, we will be looking at a far worse situation than Somalia has ever faced.” (IRIN)
So, “when will eye’s of hope cast a glance at Somalia?”, the answer remains unclear as cloudy glimpses only rarely make it in the war torn countries direction and as the shadow of Haiti grows larger, Somali’s view seems to grow even more distant in the horizon. The real question is, when we do finally take a serious look at Somalia, will it be too late?”
