The Somali battles
2010-01-22 08:34
Cape Town - Somalia has been ravaged by civil strife and lawlessness for nearly two decades, which has cost thousands of people their lives. A number of humanitarian organisations, among them, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF – Doctors without Borders), however, continue to support those in need, despite the lack of security in the country.
The conflict has also seen thousands fleeing their homes to seek refuge in camps. The situation has been worsened by a prolonged drought resulting in people losing their livestock and failing to put food on the table.
Two MSF staffers were recently caught in crossfire when a mortar exploded in a hospital compound in the Belet Weyne area. The two staffers were among the 150 people who got injured as a result of the last clashes in Beletweyne and Galgadud.
News24’s Betha Madhomu spoke to MSF's head of the mission in Somalia, Karin Fischer Liddle.
News24: What’s the situation like in Somalia in terms of the ongoing conflict?
Fischer Liddle: The situation is very difficult. Many people are in need of humanitarian assistance. The problem is that the conflict is in many places in the country and people are fleeing their homes almost on a daily basis. The situation is worsened by the drought which has seen a few people harvesting very little from their fields. The harvests can’t feed the whole nation and many can’t afford the soaring prices of basic commodities in supermarkets. Food has become very expensive and difficult to get.
News24: What kind of food are people particularly in need of?
Fischer Liddle: People here normally grow maize and wheat for flour. They also rear cattle for milk but the drought has killed most of the livestock. It’s a totally restrained diet that people here are having. Vegetables and fruits have also become scarce. It is from refugee camps that some of them are receiving aid from humanitarian organizations, but with the severity of the situation, the food can never be enough.
News24: You mention that people are fleeing their homes and indeed those are the reports we hear almost daily. It would be interesting to know where exactly these people are going – what’s their destination?
Fischer Liddle: Yes, it’s a lot of people getting displaced and many of them move to nearby Kenya where there is a big refugee camp. Most of them remain in Somalia either in nearby villages or in IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps.
News24: So in a nutshell, how would you say the conflict has impacted on the civilians?
Fischer Liddle: It’s a devastating situation where people literally lose valuable goods during their movements. Most people living in these IDPs have lost their jobs and they are in humanitarian need of food, shelter and and medical care. So the impact has really been overwhelming.
News24: Obviously women and children are the most affected in such situations – not to mention the old. What’s your comment on this and what can you say about their lives in general?
Fischer Liddle: Yes, children are in a more difficult situation as they are vulnerable, prone to diseases and are very sensitive to lack of food.
News24: I understand clashes last week resulted in 111 people including two MSF workers wounded – can you please elaborate on what exactly took place? Would you say the mortar was targeted at the MSF?
Fischer Liddle: The number of victims from these two clashes was in total 150. A mortar landed on our hospital in Beletweyne and two of our staff were wounded. For MSF it is clear that the attack was not specifically targeted at us. We are working in a war torn zone and these are the challenges we face. It’s fortunate that they were not seriously hurt. Most of the victims had multiple fractures, abdominal and chest injuries. MSF wants to highlight the importance to respect health structures, patients and medical staff and to allow MSF to bring in more desperately needed medical supplies.
News24: Any knowledge of who the attackers were?
Fischer Liddle: I’m not in a position to say who exactly the attackers were for our duty as MSF is to deliver the most needed humanitarian aid. MSF is one of the few organisations providing free surgery and emergency medical care in Somalia. We give treatment to anyone, no matter their clan, political, military or religious allegiances. More than 1 500 MSF staff, for example, is working around the clock in all our clinics in Somalia to provide medical care despite the danger.
News24: And what’s the situation like right now?
Fischer Liddle: Well, those who were wounded have been treated and the two MSF staff are back at their homes with their families.
News24: How has the MSF managed to carry on with its duties in a war torn county like Somalia where reports about heavy fighting are reported almost on a daily basis? What are some of the challenges you face in trying to deliver your services? Just how do you convince and encourage the aid workers to continue working in such risky and war-tone zones?
Fischer Liddle: There is war in Somalia and in this regard security remains an issue. It is difficult to work in Somalia and as a result there are no permanent expats stationed there. We have a total of 90 staff who are stationed in Nairobi, Kenya and these visit Somalia from time to time to support, monitor and assess the situation. Otherwise we have 1 500 Somalis working there full time as staff from MSF. These have continued to work there despite the violence as they are dedicated to support their own population. It’s difficult sometimes but they have opted to soldier on.
News24: On average how many people would you say you treat from gunshot injuries or other wounds related to the atrocities of the war in Somalia on a daily basis?
Fischer Liddle: We attend to a number of casualties. Last year we performed 2 000 surgeries and quite a number of these were violence related.
News24: And what are some of your major services in Somalia?
Fischer Liddle: We provide primary health care, malnutrition treatment, health care and support to displaced people, surgery, water and relief supply distributions.
News24: How have you established your health care facilities in the country with regards to accessibility, especially considering the fact that the population is now scattered all over as people continue to flee their homes?
Fischer Liddle: We’ve managed to establish ourselves very well with hospitals set in areas that are accessible to the people.
News24: Thank you for your time.
