Political instability, corruption and terrorism contribute to Somalia’s crisis

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) – Nearly three decades of political instability in Somalia have resulted in widespread insecurity, contributing to the internal displacement of an estimated 2.6 million people and leaving many Somalis highly vulnerable to climatic, economic, and security changes.Yet Somalia is prone to natural hazards, particularly drought and flood, which have led to recurrent food and nutrition crises. These are all the outcome of the rampant corruption, ruthless terrorism and political in fight within the crooked politicians.

Last week, the United Nations announced that 5.2 million Somalis would need food assistance in 2020. This week, the Ministry of Health of Somalia has announced 145 new suspected cases of cholera, with one death reported in the southern regions of the country.

Somalia is facing the worst desert locust outbreak in 25 years. The UN reports that locusts have damaged approximately 70,000 hectares of land, with Somaliland, Puntland, and Galmudug among the worst-affected areas. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warns that the outbreak, if uncontrolled, could reduce crop production and threaten food security in 2020.

High levels of acute food insecurity and malnutrition are expected to persist in 2020, according to the 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview for Somalia. Elevated food insecurity is linked to the 2019guseason harvest, which was 68 percent below Somalia’s long-term average. Meanwhile, 178,000 children younger than five years of age are at risk of experiencing severe acute malnutrition in 2020.

Heavy rains in southern Somalia and adjacent areas of Ethiopia during the October-to-Decemberdeyrrainy season caused riverine flooding in the Juba and Shabelle basins and flash floods, affecting more than 570,000 people.

With these entire crisis happening, the Somali politicians those currently in the government system or the opposition are busy paying millions of dollars to bribe elders and officials to steal local elections in Galmudug as political crisis continue to hamper lives of civilians in Jubbaland and Puntland alike.

Horn Observer has learnt that 470 tents airlifted from Mogadishu in early November last year for the floods affected people in Beledweyne city could not be distributed due to internal rift between the Hirshabelle State authorities and the Federal Government representatives. Each side wanted to lead the distribution for a PR thus resulting dispute that lead the whole process to fail.

But unfortunately, representatives from the Office of Somali Prime Minister, under the auspices of Yahye Ali Hareri were able to spend $1 million for bribing new Galmudug lawmakers in exchange for the vote for Dr. Mohamed Nur Ga’al, candidate favoured by Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire for the position of Speakership.

Meanwhile merciless al-Shabaab terrorists sustained their bloodshed against the Somali citizens across the country but more targets Mogadishu residents. On the weekend alone, the militant group claimed responsibility for a car bombing that killed at least three and wounded more than 20 people in Afgoye, northwest of the capital Mogadishu.

Turkish engineers who are supporting the country with road construction have not been spared. A group of engineers was among those hit in late December after a truck bomb targeted a checkpoint in Mogadishu’s Ex-Control Afgoye that killed at least 90 people.

(HORN OBSERVER)