NASSEJ Monthly Report for Somalia Environmental Crisis

31 January, 2010

NASSEJ/Ref: M-S-0010

“Desperate Cries for Peace and Environmental Health”

Somalia has not had a powerful government for all most two decades and the civil war caused a lot of civil insecurity and problems mostly women and children were the deliberately targeted groups and they were faced many different challenges during Somalia civil war since 1991 up to 2006.

Since the civil war erupted the country Somali people divided into tribes and each tribe is straggling to lead the policy of the country particularly the majority clans are the first one while the minority clans remain marginalized and forgotten victims.

The strife in Somalia has also sent hundreds of thousands of Somalis into exile in neighbouring countries and left hundreds of thousands dead. Violence and insecurity in south and central Somalia have considerably reduced the humanitarian space and compelled UN agencies and NGOs to relocate or evacuate international humanitarian aid workers to safer places.

Difinitely, Kidnappings of international and national aid workers, followed by ransom demands, are major obstacles to humanitarian operations in Somalia.

Piracy in the Somali sea waters has increased dramatically as a consequence of the lack of functioning institutions and the state of lawlessness in the country. As a result, humanitarian aid vessels have been delayed or diverted, while insurance costs have skyrocketed, making it difficult to hire cargo ships to deliver aid to Somalia. Delays in the delivery of humanitarian aid have contributed to worsening the nutritional status of the Somali population already affected by conflict and natural disaster.

All these horrified reasons made Somalia to be as a failed state and remains one of the most insecure places in the world, with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

The National Association of Somali Science and Environmental Journalists (NASSEJ) takes a close look for the basic needs of Somalis in order to tell the world publicly.

The basic needs of Somalis are peace and environmental health momentally according to the last media assesments in across the country particularly south and central Somali regions.More then 10 thousand Somalis were participated the public media discussions through phone calls and most of them seemingly a people carrying for peace only and culturally Somalis believe that they will move on and survive if they will get a sustanable peace and easily reconstract the nation as community mobilization initiative.

While the above mentioned situation is exist Somalis are now “self-abnegation” people because of lack of functioning government for almost two decades in the country.

As the detailed political history of Somalia indicates, it is a country that has been decimated by decades of continued conflict. Some argue that the clan-system in Somalia means that political instability is woven into the fabric of its society, despite it being one of the most ethnically homogenous states in Africa. Somali society is highly patriarchal and vertical in its traditional vestiges of power, which has added fuel to certain of its conflicts.

The security situation in Somalia deteriorated dramatically over the past five (5) years. And the civilians, humanitarian workers, journalists and civil society groups have been targeted in various parts of the country.

There are hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees in neighboring countries, especially in Ethiopia and Kenya, which contributes to border insecurity. Ethiopia is particularly concerned about the rise of Islamist organizations in Somalia, while northern Kenya is destabilized by bandits operating from Somalia, and apparently some Somali militias have established bases there. The constant ebb and flow of refugees throughout the conflict history have further contributed to an unstable security environment.

International Treaties/Protocols/Alliances

Somalia is a member of:

United Nations

African Union

African Development Bank

League of Arab States

Non-aligned Movement

ACP-EU relationship

Many people wonder why a country such as ours cannot manage to feed its own population therefore the land is fertile and we have reliable rainfalls mostly. So what is the problem?

“when the president Obama talked of the green revolution in the developing countries during his address at G8 conference I expected a rally or a press release in support of the idea but none featured so the idea was not welcomed even by the ministry of agriculture and I am left to wonder why we do not prosper more from all this arable land” said Mr. Daud Abdi Daud, NASSEJ Secretary General.

Somalia Leaders must act on the wishes of the citizens and the National Association of Somali Science and Environmental Journalists (NASSEJ) call for a massive support on Somalia civilians particularly those in need for emergency humanitarian aid.

Somalia factions must practice good governance, peace and security. This is what the people are asking for.

Unknown diseases affected the displaced Somali people from one person to another where particularly for those who are in south and central regions of Somalia so that there is no single person not affected, while the doctors did not know what the disease is exactly , they said it is skin disease.

Finally the National Association of Somali Science and Environmental Journalists (NASSEJ) calls on Somali people to burry the hatchet and start a new era of peace. To spend their money for buying self-sustaining facilities rater than weapons. To turn their destruction to creation, their suggestion to co-operation.

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