Top official warns insecurity worsens, civilians pay the price in Somalia
Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 20th Oct. UN Special Representative for Somalia Catriona Laing on Thursday briefed the members of the UN Security Council told that insecurity persists in Somalia, with extremist group Al-Shabaab and fighting in the region has taken a heavy toll on civilians.
Catriona Laing, described Somalia as being at a critical juncture.
“Last year, we saw the largest increase in civilian casualties since 2017. Sadly, early data indicate a similar trend in 2023, with 1,289 civilian casualties recorded so far,” she said.
She noted that the military campaign against Al-Shabaab in central Somalia faced setbacks, though the national army and allied clan militias were able to initially retake significant territory.
“In response to its own setbacks, Al-Shabaab has increased the use of 107mm rockets, particularly in Mogadishu. It has also conducted targeted attacks on high profile Somali politicians,” Ms. Laing added.
Ms. Laing highlighted collaboration with the Government through a joint programme on women’s involvement in peacebuilding.
These include strengthening the role of women as peacemakers, capacity building to increase the number of women parliamentarians and enhancing legal frameworks against sexual violence, she noted.
“I recently met with courageous Somali women leaders and heard of their pioneering work to ensure women play a significant role in critical areas, from politics to climate change,” Ms. Laing said.
She noted the humanitarian situation in Somalia remains deeply tensed with 4 million people facing hunger and about 1.2 million people displaced.
The situation may deteriorate due to enhanced Deyr rains and the El Niño climate effect, leading to floods that could push hundreds of thousands more into food insecurity, she said.
Ms. Laing urged that it is crucial to address the root causes of the crisis and integrate climate adaptation.
She called for resources towards the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, which remains severely underfunded.
Top envoy noted progress in Somalia’s pursuit of reaching the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative completion point by December, noting the passing of the national Audit Bill in that regard.
The HIPC is a World Bank-International Monetary Fund initiative to help poorer countries manage their debt burden and ensure sufficient resources towards key services and development, she concluded..
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