Editor TLN
The city has been the scene since February of fighting between the forces of the Somaliland region and local militias
July 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced on Monday the suspension of its services at Las Anod General Hospital, due to “the growing volatility” and the security incidents derived from the clashes since February between the forces of the separatist Somali region of Somaliland and militia groups in favor of joining the federal government.
The NGO has indicated in a statement published on its website that it is a “difficult decision” that it has blamed on the “repeated attacks” against military installations and the level of “extreme violence” in Las Anod, which have led the organization to “not be able to continue providing medical care.”
Thus, he recalled that the hospital was hit during the fighting on July 8, an incident that resulted in several injuries among medical personnel and caregivers, while the maternity ward had to be closed. The incident was the fifth of its kind since the outbreak of violence on February 6.
“We regret being forced to stop our medical support, knowing that this will have an impact on the population’s access to vital medical care, already compromised by the ongoing conflict,” said Dana Krause, MSF representative in Somalia.
In this sense, Krause has stressed that the non-governmental organization “needs to be able to work in an environment in which the minimum safety standards for patients and health workers are guaranteed.”
MSF has been supporting the work of the General Hospital of Las Anod since May 2019 with the delivery of medical supplies and technical expertise for the emergency room and operations, in addition to providing financial support to staff and care for sexual and reproductive health and treatment for children with acute malnutrition and other illnesses.
Lastly, he stressed that the organization will continue to be present in the Sool region, where Las Anod is located, by maintaining primary and specialized health activities in the city of Kalabaid, located about 40 kilometers south of Las Anod.
Fighting broke out on 6 February in Las Anod, the administrative center of the Sool region between Somaliland forces and militant groups after local leaders represented in the so-called Sool, Sanaag and Cayn Regions Unity and Salvation Authority (SSC) declared their intention to rejoin federal Somalia.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not gained wide international recognition for its status and has faced opposition from some clan elders in disputed areas along its border with Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland state. Faced with this situation, the United Nations has called for a “credible and impartial” investigation into the clashes.
