Protection Cluster

MOGADISHU — Child Rights organizations working in Somalia led by Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, and Plan International have expressed deep concerns about the untold suffering of children due to the COVID-19 crisis and called for scaling up of child protection services. Experts from the three agencies acknowledge that …

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s coronavirus lockdown has led to a huge increase in female genital mutilation (FGM), with circumcisers going door to door offering to cut girls stuck at home during the pandemic, a charity said on Monday. Plan International said the crisis was undermining efforts to eradicate the practice in …

MOGADISHU — The ugly act of rape of minors in Somalia has cropped up again with four girls undergoing the heinous act leading to the death of one as they traveled from Mogadishu. The four were dragged out of the vehicle they were traveling in by a group of men …

MOGADISHU —  Organizations working on children and women’s rights in Somalia have applauded the swift action by the Federal Government of Somalia in investigating the recent incident involving the kidnap and rape of two toddlers in Afgoye, Somalia. The organizations, members of DFID funded Social Norms and Participation (SNaP) program, …

MOGADISHU — The UN has condemned the abduction and rape of two young girls in Afgoye and called for speedy legal recourse to bring to book the perpetrators of the heinous act. The UN Population Fund said in a statement it was appalled by the offense committed against the girls …

MOGADISHU — The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) condemns the rape of three young girls in Afgoye, South-West State, and Balanballe, Galmudug. These tragic events remain one of the most heinous human rights violations and leave a deep-rooted stain on victims’ families and communities. For too long, sexual and …

MOGADISHU  —  Two girls between the age of 4 and 6 have been brought Madina hospital after being abducted from their homes and brutally raped a few days ago in Afgoye town. The girls who are close relatives were kidnapped while their families were away at a wedding ceremony, the …

JOHANNESBURG  — Most African countries have made significant progress in advancing gender equality, African leaders said Sunday during commemorations to mark International Women’s Day. “Women are equitably represented in government. Last year, we achieved 50/50 parity in the Cabinet for the first time, and 47% of MPs are women,” South Africa’s …

MOGADISHU — The United Nations senior envoy in Somalia on Sunday lauded the contribution of women towards peace and stability of the country. James Swan, a special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, applauded the role of Somali women in their country’s progress while also encouraging greater efforts to …

MOGADISHU —  The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has welcomed Somalia’s official deposit of the instruments of ratification of the African Union Convention for the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the AU Commission in Ethiopia. Johann Siffointe, UNHCR Somalia representative, said the latest move shows the progress made by …