NEWS

MOGADISHU — The first deputy speaker of the Lower House of the Somali parliament, MP Sadia Yasin Samatar, has distanced herself from pushing the controversial Sexual Intercourse Bill, also known as the Penetration Bill. The bill sparked outrage among Somalis and was seen as incompatible with Islam and Somali culture; …

ADDIS ABABA  — The Horn of Africa is facing an unprecedented drought emergency with catastrophic consequences, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) warned on Tuesday. The UNOCHA said in its latest Horn of Africa drought situation update that the situation could worsen further amid deteriorating …

MOGADISHU — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said Tuesday that it has stepped up humanitarian response in Somalia through cash transfers to mitigate the impact of drought on the food security and livelihoods of affected rural communities. FAO Representative in Somalia Etienne Peterschmitt said the …

MOGADISHU — The mass casualty incidents related to the armed conflict in Somalia have increased by 30%, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday. Fifty-seven conflict-related mass casualty incidents were registered between January and October compared to 43 during the same period in 2021, according to the …

MOGADISHU — At least 10 people were killed when armed attackers stormed a hotel near the presidential palace in the Somali capital Mogadishu, according to the police. Among the victims are two individuals with dual Somali-British citizenship, Mohamed Dahir of the Somali police told dpa. The hotel, which is popular among …

CAPE TOWN —  A 17-year-old Somali girl was kidnapped from her father’s tuck shop in Western Cape this week, the latest in a string of kidnappings targeting business people and foreign nationals. According to local police and witnesses, the teenage girl was grabbed by gunmen while her father was offloading …

KISMAYO — Somalia’s education architecture has been hard hit by a three decade internal conflict that has left behind dilapidated schools and disadvantaged many school-age going children calling on the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops operating in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to step in …

GENEVA — More than 40 million children missed getting vaccinated against measles last year, prompting a significant setback in global efforts to eradicate the highly contagious disease worldwide, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint report Wednesday. Vaccination campaigns were …

MOGADISHU — The World Food Programme (WFP) said Monday it requires 416 million U.S. dollars for the next six months to prevent famine in Somalia. WFP said the funds, required between November and April 2023, include a 356-million-dollar shortfall for life-saving relief food and nutrition assistance. “Assessment results are anticipated …

MOGADISHU — Somalia needs $55.5 billion in investment and assistance in the next 10 years to be able to recover from climatic shocks. Mohamed Osman, an economic advisor to the Somali president said greater efforts are also needed for conflict-hit countries to access funds beyond the new proposed compensation deal. The package is …