MOGADISHU — A newly launched emergency call center is boosting health response in the fight against COVID-19 in Somalia, the UN said on Thursday. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-backed center is receiving more than 8,000 daily calls from those who feel sick or need advice on COVID-19 in Somalia. …
Read More »UAE sends medical aid to Jubaland in fight against COVID-19
ABU DHABI — The UAE sent an aid plane carrying 7 metric tons of medical supplies to Jubaland state of Somalia, to bolster the country’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. This aid will assist approximately 7,000 medical professionals as they work to contain the virus. Commenting on the …
Read More »Somaliland lifts all COVID-19 restrictions
HARGEISA — Somaliland, a self-declared state in Somalia, announced Tuesday that it has removed all COVID-19 restrictions, including those on movement, social gatherings, and businesses. Somaliland’s Vice President Abdirahman Saylici told local media in the capital Hargeisa that the government has also removed restrictions on education, youth sports, and nightclubs, …
Read More »UN says Somalis shun hospitals for fear of contracting COVID-19
MOGADISHU — The number of people visiting health centers for routine care in Somalia has significantly dropped due to fear of contracting COVID-19 as well as lack of public transport or other means to access facilities, the UN said on Tuesday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs …
Read More »Somalia’s COVID-19 response: IDPs especially at risk
KISMAYO — Aisha Maalim returned to Kismayo in southern Somalia in March 2019, after having spent many years living in the Dadaab refugee camps located over the border in Kenya. Like many, she hoped to return to a better life as Somalia rebuilds after decades of conflict and instability. The …
Read More »UN calls for increased global efforts to help Somalia’s COVID-19 fight
MOGADISHU — The UN top envoy in Somalia on Sunday called for more international assistance to help the government to fight against COVID-19. James Swan, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, said the support provided by global partners has enabled Somalia to provide facilities for patient care in the country’s …
Read More »COVID-19 escalating plight of refugees in Somalia: UN
MOGADISHU — The additional threat of COVID-19 in Somalia besides an already fragile situation has worsened the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons, the UN has warned. Calling for concerted efforts to stem the tide, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Saturday said the COVID-19 pandemic could further …
Read More »ICRC fears coronavirus spreading silently in Somalia’s displaced camps
NAIROBI/GAROWE — The new coronavirus could be spreading undetected through camps across Somalia hosting some 2.6 million displaced people, the Red Cross warned on Tuesday, as floods and conflict swelled the numbers fleeing into overcrowded settlements. Almost 500,000 people have been forced from their homes by recent floods in central …
Read More »Somalia records 39 new COVID-19 cases, 45 more recoveries
MOGADISHU — Somalia has confirmed 39 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said in its daily report on Monday. Forty-five people have recovered while no death was reported, the ministry statement added. Fourteen of the new cases are from Banadir region, 12 from Puntland …
Read More »Egypt evacuates its teachers from Somalia over coronavirus
CAIRO — Egyptian Minister of Education Tarek Shawki discussed with the Immigration Minister Nabila Makram the means of the return of a number of workers within the mission of the Ministry of Education in the State of Somalia in light of the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Egyptian …
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Somali Observatory for Humanitarian Affairs The Voice of Reality.. The Eye of Humanitarian Truth in Somalia