Regrets the high level of violence suffered by women and girls in a country that is “the human face of climate change”
Asks for “commitment” from the international community: “There are no solutions and you cannot resort to the opposing groups”
Oct. 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The director of Plan International in Somalia, Sadia Allin, regretted this Monday that the country is going through “one of the most complex conflicts in the world” due to the inaction of the international community and the lack of dialogue between the opposing parties, a situation that is worsening and seriously affecting millions of people.
“The humanitarian situation in Somalia has not changed much over the last year and everything indicates that it is getting worse. Today we have 8.25 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 1.8 million children under five years of age are malnourished,” he explained during an interview with Europa Press at the organization’s headquarters in Madrid.
For Allin, it is “time to press the alarm button” and take measures at the international level that address the terrible crisis facing the Somali population, which suffered the death of 43,000 people in 2023 due to drought and lack of food. In this sense, he recalled the “sad loss of some 250,000 people to hunger in 2011.”
“We need the commitment of the international community to be with the people of Somalia. Because we are experiencing one of the most complex conflicts in the world and there are no solutions. The groups that fight among themselves do not communicate to find a way out of the conflict,” he stated. . “The EU could be an actor that drives dialogue; it could increase interest in talks between different groups, especially between Somalia and Ethiopia. The Turkish government has tried to mediate (…) but there are more countries that could show initiative and commit “, he pointed out.
With a population of 15.7 million people, at least 4.4 million are displaced due to an internal conflict that appears to have become entrenched and which also adds to the serious climate crisis affecting the country, which Allin defines as the “human face of climate change.” “The situation depends on who has power or not,” he said before emphasizing that “people cannot have a safe life.”
“Many people have lost their lives,” he stressed, “but it is as if it were a forgotten crisis.” “First of all we need peace and stability. Because Somalia is also the center of the geopolitical conflict between Egypt and Ethiopia,” clarified Allin, who has referred to the conflict as a subsidiary war, also known as ‘proxy war’.
In this sense, he has emphasized the importance of supporting the Somali Government to protect the population, especially women and children, and the importance of access to water. “Water is something very important in the context of Somalia,” said Allin, who warned that it is the lack of this resource that leads many women to make long trips to obtain this resource, which exposes them to serious risks. dangers.
Somalia and Egypt have recently signed a military pact that contemplates the deployment of 5,000 Egyptian soldiers in the country, which has increased differences between Ethiopia and Somalia over the aforementioned memorandum of understanding signed with Somaliland to obtain access to the Red Sea in exchange for its formal recognition, while Addis Ababa is also mired in a serious diplomatic dispute with Egypt over the construction of the Great Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.
THE SITUATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS
The director of the NGO in the African country has clarified that “inequality and malnutrition go hand in hand, and this directly affects women and girls.” “Women are the first to give up and stop eating. They are in the last line of access to food and are in charge of seeking food sustenance for families, which is why they suffer the danger of being exploited,” he detailed.
“We have also seen an increase in marriages because families seek to resolve their financial problems in this way. This is linked to female genital mutilation, which in Somalia is a fundamental requirement to be able to carry out these unions,” he explained in relation to the insecurity of minors in a country that has a 98 percent prevalence rate of this type of practices in women between the ages of 15 and 49.
“Sadly, this is legal. There is no measure in this regard and it is linked to marriage. Almost half of women marry before they turn 18 and this increases their vulnerability and the possibility of dying in childbirth. (.. .) We speak with families, with religious centers, with communities, we work in a triangular way,” he argued.
That is why he has stressed the importance of “demystifying female genital mutilation” and people who have “an open space to talk about it.” “We are working with politicians, but it is a long path that requires continuous exchange with the communities,” he declared, but not before remembering that this practice is “deeply rooted in Somali society.” “Some are not even willing to talk about it,” he added.
Allin has shown the relevance of providing health care given that many women are in serious danger due to this type of mutilation, but has regretted the lack of existing funding. “This situation has a serious impact on access to education – which is of great importance for minors -, given that it is generally boys who go to educational centers instead of girls when families are going through financial difficulties. “, he stated, while warning of the close relationship between gender inequality and food insecurity.
Thus, he has defended that education is a “powerful tool” that gives minors the opportunity to “escape from reality, grow and obtain security.” “It is an incredible experience for children who are in crisis because they connect with other children, interact and it helps them have a greater sense of normality. It is a powerful tool in the long term, although unfortunately Somalia is going through a very difficult situation,” he said.
Finally, he has warned of the lack of media and international attention to the terrible crisis in Somalia, an interest that has been especially reduced as the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip progresses, where more than 42,000 people have already died.
“The situation in general is difficult, especially with what is happening in Gaza. But it is equally important because we know that if we do nothing, insecurity will grow and take over people’s lives. The sound of planes and bombs will can hear, but the hunger suffered by the victims is silent, so it is important that we see this (…) It is difficult for the world to know what is happening in Somalia,” he stated.
However, it has exposed the relevance of facing climate change collectively. “It is important to understand that the conflict in Somalia is related to resources and that this is linked to climate change,” he concluded.
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