Relief

NAIROBI (SoOHA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ruled out ransom negotiations with Al Shabaab militants in Somalia to secure the release of two Cuban doctors abducted from Mandera in April. Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma however said an operation was ongoing to rescue the two doctors. “We believe that …

GENEVA (SoOHA)  – Today is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, a time to celebrate the bravery and achievements of our volunteers and staff around the world, whose life-saving and life-changing services ensure that we keep our commitment to humanity every day. One in 65 people in the world is helped …

HARGEISA (SoOHA) – Osman Botan Mohamud, 49, a father of eight, has just returned home after receiving 15 goats from the Drought Response Committee in Somaliland to replace his losses in last year’s tropical cyclone. He is one of 600 people in Salal, Awdal, Gabiley, and Saahil who lost their …

HAVANA (SoOHA) – Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel spoke by phone on Thursday with his counterparts in Kenya and Somalia about negotiations for the release of two Cuban doctors abducted a week ago in Kenya. Diaz-Canel said via Twitter that he spoke with Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta and Somalia’s Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed …

MOGADISHU (SoOHA) – The Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) 2018 Annual report reveals a drop in donor contributions to the fund in 2018 by 5 per cent, compared to the previous year. According to the report, between January-December 2018, the SHF mobilized $54.3 million while in 2017$56.9 million was received in contribution. …

Authorities in Puntland have issued an alarm over drought due to the continued lack of rain. The state formed a Drought Response Committee chaired by interior minister Mohamed Abdirahman Cabanas. Radio Ergo’s reporter Abdirahman Mohamed spoke with the minister to find out how serious the situation is and asked him …

MOGADISHU (SoOHA) – When Sahra Koshin first returned to Somalia from the Netherlands in 2008, she was full of hope and courage. Eager to use her expertise in gender development to rebuild her wartorn country, she immediately started work with one of the many UN agencies in Mogadishu. “The moment …

MOGADISHU (SoOHA) – US Ambassador to Somalia Donald Y. Yamamoto held a roundtable discussion with organizations that work with the people and government of Somalia to overcome humanitarian crises. Joining Ambassador Yamamoto were representatives from the UN World Food Program, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, Mercy Corps, International Medical …

SHANGHAI (SoOHA) – Ships carrying thousands of tonnes of rice set off from Huangpu Port in Shanghai on Friday for Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan to help these countries cope with their food security crisis. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) China Office held …

The aid agency Oxfam published a report this week warning that up to 1.7 million people in Somaliland are in critical need of humanitarian assistance.  This number has increased by hundreds of thousands in recent months. Radio Ergo correspondent Ilyas Abdi asked OXFAM’s head of communications in Somalia, Abdiaziz Ali …