REPORTS

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s economy contracted by 1.5 per cent in 2020 shedding off $186 million owing to the combined effect of COVID-19 and related shocks, a joint report by the government and the UN has revealed. The Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) released by the Ministry of Planning and the UN …

Somalis are no strangers to hardship, having endured years of drought, conflict and instability. Last year saw a devastating infestation of desert locusts, extensive flooding and COVID-19, which brought new health and socioeconomic woes. Now the country is again facing critical water shortages, which are causing livestock deaths, mounting hunger …

NAIROBI/GAROWE —  Nearly three-quarters of Somali families lack safe drinking water as drought looms across the country and depletes wells, raising the risk of hunger as crops fail and livestock dies, UK-based charity Save the Children said on Monday. Climate change is taking a heavy toll across eastern Africa, and …

BAIDOA — Quiet and calm are rare at the Bay Regional Hospital(BRH) in the city of Baidoa. On any given day, the usual hustle and bustle associated with a major hospital feature throughout its grounds, as could be expected for the main referral hospital in Somalia’s South West State. Inside, …

MOGADISHU — As the world grapples with COVID-19 in its final round, the Somalian government faces criticism for its lax approach to fight the pandemic. The Horn of Africa country has not imposed a proper lockdown since March 2020, when the first coronavirus case was reported in the country. However, a …

MOGADISHU — Muslima Abdirahman, a Somali mother of nine, escaped death twice in the past two years while shopping for groceries in Mogadishu, where Islamist insurgents regularly carry out suicide bombings on busy streets and markets. She shudders at the memories: “I wiped my tears with my veil and went …

MOGADISHU — As the COVID-19 pandemic landed in Somalia in mid-March, there was rampant anxiety about how the country with one of the most fragile health systems could handle a pandemic that was wreaking havoc in wealthy nations. There was fear among local communities that the pandemic could add another …

MOGADISHU —  Incessant fighting, recurrent droughts and floods, and the worst locust invasion in more than 25 years are forcing more people to flee their homes in Somalia, leading to severe overcrowding and an intensifying risk of COVID-19 among internally displaced people (IDP), Amnesty International said today. By 19 July, …

Six months ago, Beledweyne, a town in central Somalia was battered by heavy rainstorms. The flooding destroyed houses, crops, and roads, and displaced thousands of families. Now, Beledweyne, the capital of the Hiiraan province in Hirshabelle, is once again submerged in floodwater after River Shabelle burst its banks. Hundreds have …

MOGADISHU —  Somalia and the United Nations culture and education agency yesterday signed an agreement aimed at strengthening efforts to preserve the country’s cultural heritage and improve its educational sector. “Culture and education are vital for the country’s future. After years of conflict, they are vital to the human dimension …