SOCOTRA, Yemen (AP) — On a windswept plateau high above the Arabian Sea, Sena Keybani cradles a sapling that barely reaches her ankle. The young plant, protected by a makeshift fence of wood and wire, is a kind of dragon’s blood tree — a species found only on the Yemeni island of Socotra that is...
MOGADISHU– Somalia launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Monday to combat measles, polio, and pneumonia, targeting more than 3 million children in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO), which launched the week-long campaign in collaboration with Somali federal and regional governments, said in a statement that the campaign’s goal is “to protect children and...
By Mohamed Abdi If Marshall McLuhan had been alive today, he would have marvelled at the way communication technology has transformed the world and made it a global village. McLuhan (a Canadian) was a media and communication theorist who coined the term “global village”. He envisioned a world where communication and information could flow freely, unhindered...
(ERGO) – Maryan Nur Mohamed’s family of eight has faced severe shortages of food, water, and shelter since arriving at Hilac-Wanaag camp in Garasbaley district, Mogadishu, in April. They fled the war between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab, joining 1,500 families forced from their homes in Middle Shabelle region over the past several weeks. Most have...
Several people have been reported killed in a suicide bombing at an army recruitment centre in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The attacker on Sunday targeted a queue of young recruits lining up outside the Damanyo base, killing at least 13 people, the Associated Press news agency quoted witnesses as saying “There was a loud explosion, and...
The United Nations announced Friday it is scaling back its humanitarian aid goals in Yemen and Somalia in the latest fallout from a drastic drop in funding from member states. It said the cuts are putting millions of lives at risk around the world. In January, the UN launched an appeal for $2.4 billion to help 10.5 million people in war-torn...
Their situation seemed desperate; their demeanour, portrayed in several videos published by news outlets, was sour. On a recent weekday in March, men, women, and even children – all with their belongings heaped on their heads or strapped to their bodies – disembarked from the ferry they say they were forcibly hauled onto from the...
By Ali Haji Warsame Somalia is again at a tipping point, and heightening tension and anxiety is on the air. After decades of political, social, and economic turmoil, the country is experiencing another showdown between the political elite and centres of power at both the central and regional levels. The enormous security challenges, the bleak...
By Abdikarim Haji Abdi Buh The tragedy unfolding in Gaza is not an isolated or sudden conflict. It is the culmination of decades of calculated occupation, systemic ethnic cleansing, and the denial of basic human rights to a native people whose only crime is the desire to live freely in their ancestral homeland. The origins...
A UN expert on human rights in Somalia urged the Somali government on Thursday to accelerate important reforms and strengthen protections for its people amid persistent conflict and political uncertainty. The expert’s statement came at the conclusion of her fourth official visit to the country. Isha Dyfan, the UN independent expert on the situation of human rights...