Somalia famine’s shocking death toll must never happen again
Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 Posted in Drought, Food security, Somalia | No Comments »A new study estimates that 258,000 people died in the Somalia 201/11 famine - half of them children under 5. In some areas up to 18% of young children died. In response to these shocking new findings, the head of ...
A new “no-water” latrine model helps refugees in dry parts of Ethiopia
Thursday, April 18th, 2013 Posted in Ethiopia, Refugees/IDPs, Somalia, Water/sanitation | 1 Comment »In 2011, as famine hit Somalia, tens of thousands of refugees fled to the Dollo Ado camps in Ethiopia. There are now five camps in Dollo Ado, sheltering over 190,000 people – making it one of the largest refugee sites ...
“This is the time to change things for Somalia”
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 Posted in Somalia, Women's rights | No Comments »Fartuun Adan, one of Oxfam's partners in Somalia and head of the Elman Peace Center and Sisters Somalia, recently did an interview with Arabs Today TV. She talks about her work in Somalia to support survivors of sexual violence, help ...
A Day in the Life of a Mogadishu ambulance driver
Thursday, March 21st, 2013 Posted in Aid, Conflict, Health, Refugees/IDPs, Somalia | No Comments »[caption id="attachment_5978" align="alignleft" width="270" caption="Ismail's ambulance makes a stop "][/caption] It is 6 am and already the alarm is going. These are early days for HIJRA's ambulance driver in Mogadishu, Ismail Mohamed. Ismail is not one to ...
Oxfam lobbying partner Fartun Adan honoured with award
Sunday, March 10th, 2013 Posted in Gender, Somalia | No Comments »[caption id="attachment_5943" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Left to Right: Michelle Obama, Fartun Adan and John Kerry."][/caption] Fartun Adan, the Executive Director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center in Somalia was named as a recipient for the International Women of Courage Award ...
Braving the tide – New “E-cash” system helps a Mogadishu fisherman
Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 Posted in Food security, ICT 4 Development, Somalia | No Comments »In the past two decades, the city of Mogadishu in Somalia has experienced periods of extreme violence. Today however, Mogadishu is enjoying a period of relative calm. No longer do the streets ring with gunshots. These days the air is ...
Somalia food crisis easing, though 1.05 million people are still in need
Friday, February 1st, 2013 Posted in Agriculture, Aid, Food security, Somalia | No Comments »[caption id="attachment_5711" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Displaced women and their children wait in a Mogadishu clinic"][/caption] The number of people in need of food aid in Somalia is continuing to drop, with the number of Somalis in need of humanitarian assistance down to ...
E-cash on the rise in Somalia
Tuesday, January 8th, 2013 Posted in Aid, Somalia, Video | 6 Comments »Oxfam partner Hijra recently began an innovative new "e-cash" project to deliver aid to people in Mogadishu via mobile phones. Women like Kadija Mohammed, who uses the $150 she receives to invest in her small shop, say receiving mobile cash ...
The weaver’s tale: Mobile money helps a colourful business in Mogadishu
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 Posted in Food security, Somalia | No Comments »[caption id="attachment_5590" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Abbas Ali at his fabric workshop"][/caption] At Abbas Ali’s workshop in Mogadishu a handful of craftsmen produce traditional Somali clothes, turning brightly colored hand-woven fabrics into clothes for both women and men. The 45-year-old businessman says there is ...
Human Rights and Somali Culture
Monday, December 10th, 2012 Posted in Education, Somalia | No Comments »[caption id="attachment_5555" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Hargeisa Book Fair is a popular annual event."] [/caption] Did you know that Somalis have long been known for poetry and storytelling? These are traditions that were passed down through generations. When telling a story, the ...