MOGADISHU ( HALBEEG NEWS) – The Federal Government of Somalia and the United Nations office in the country have called for the protection of aid workers who provide life-saving assistance to vulnerable children, women, and men in the country.
In 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 19 August as World Humanitarian Day.
Every year on this day, Governments around the world and the United Nations shine a spotlight on the millions of civilians and humanitarian workers around the world whose lives have been caught up in conflict.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Somali aid workers, for their continued and unwavering service to humanity in one of the world’s most dangerous operating environments,” said Mr. Hamza Said Hamza, Somalia Federal Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. He added, “I want to make special mention of the Somali humanitarian workers who form the backbone of the humanitarian operation in the country.”
Somalia has been affected by the flood, locust, and COVID-19 threats which exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities in the country, disrupted positive gains in socio-economic activities including farming and business, affected livelihoods especially for low-income earners and poor families, and strained the health care system.
The operating environment in Somalia is particularly challenging for humanitarian workers due to widespread insecurity and poor infrastructure, which hampers the delivery of assistance to people in need.
The access constraints surged during the first half of 2020, with 141 incidents reported against humanitarian operations by the end of July, compared to 151 in all of 2019. Eleven humanitarian workers were killed, 11 wounded and 23 kidnapped, including seven who were kidnapped and murdered in a single incident.
“This year, World Humanitarian Day has come at a critical time when the triple threat of COVID-19, floods and desert locusts has aggravated Somalia’s complex, protracted humanitarian crisis,” said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mr. Adam Abdelmoula. “The humanitarian community estimated that 5.2 million people would need assistance and protection in 2020, but the situation is worsening. Without sustained assistance, 3.5 million people will fail to meet their minimum food needs by September. In addition, we must shift the paradigm to sustainable solutions that help build resilience and lift people out of poverty,” Mr. Abdelmoula added.
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