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A28 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 March 2020
In Somalia, coronavirus goes from fairy tale to nightmare

By ABDI GULED and roads in Somalia where the cial networks that are now
MOHAMED SHEIKH NOR group operates a system of threatened, he said. The
Associated Press forced taxation. warm personal embraces
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) While al-Shabab leaders must end, even though
— At first, the coronavirus recently met to discuss the some people mistakenly
was just a fairy tale, a ru- coronavirus as a precau- think Somalia's hot weather
mor along the dusty lanes tion, the group has been will defeat the virus.
of the displaced persons' hostile to humanitarian And some 6 million Somalis
camp that Habiba Ali calls workers during past emer- live in squalid conditions,
home. It seemed fantasti- gencies. Few people ex- many of them uprooted
cal: an illness sweeping the pect anything different by past disasters. Most are
world far beyond Somalia's now. "Lessons from previ- acutely hungry.
borders, killing thousands of ous epidemics, including Hundreds of thousands
people and sending some the cholera outbreak in cling to existence on the
of the richest countries into 2017, tell us that it's unlikely fringes of Mogadishu, their
panic. they will allow humanitar- homes of corrugated met-
Then Somalia's first virus In this photo taken Thursday, March 26, 2020, residents live in ian partners access to ar- al, even hanging cloth,
case was announced on crowded conditions in the Sayidka camp for internally displaced eas that are in need," the jammed side-by-side. Ac-
March 16, and one of the people in Mogadishu, Somalia. Somalia director for Action cess to water is severely
world's most fragile nations Associated Press. Against Hunger, Ahmed limited.
staggered even more. of intensive care that CO- in part on another, more Khalif, told the AP. But "they "It's going to be beyond
Nearly three decades of VID-19 patients, sometimes dangerous authority, the let people seek health care anyone's imagination,"
conflict, extremist attacks, gasping for breath, desper- al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab (elsewhere) when they Khalif said. "A widespread
drought, disease and a ately need, Health Minister extremist group that con- were overwhelmed by the outbreak of the disease
devastating outbreak of lo- Fawsia Abikar told The As- trols or holds sway in parts numbers, so we expect a would be catastrophic to
custs have taken a vast toll. sociated Press. Less than 20 of the central and southern similar reaction." the people who are al-
Already vulnerable, millions beds in intensive care units regions. Al-Shabab often From his office in Moga- ready vulnerable."
of Somalis now contem- are available. strikes in the heart of the dishu where desks have The virus doesn't discrimi-
plate a new way to die. Somalia also has lacked capital, with fighters deto- been pushed apart for so- nate among rich or poor,
"We have been overcome the capability to test for the nating suicide bombs at cial distancing, Khalif wor- he said. Elsewhere in Mog-
with an extraordinary fear new virus, meaning sam- checkpoints or infiltrating ries along several lines. adishu, better-off citizens
about the disease," Ali said ples are sent abroad and offices posing as employ- Because of a lack of gov- have rushed to stock up on
as she worried about her six results delayed for more ees. Chances for infec- ernance over the years, face masks, sanitizer and
children. "And we are even than a week. Quarantine tion also exist along major Somalis have thrived on so- gloves.q
avoiding shaking hands tents have been erect-
with people. Our fear is ed around an old port in
real, and we are helpless." Mogadishu. As of Sunday, Uganda’s
Even as mask-wearing all international and do-
health workers entered her mestic flights, except for Bobi Wine
Sayidka camp in the capi- emergency medical and
tal, Mogadishu, to dem- food cargo, have been sings
onstrate lathering up with suspended.
soap and water, some au- "This is a disease which against
thorities shuddered. Small has overwhelmed more
children mimicked the virus sophisticated health care virus,
prevention measures, hap- systems of countries than
pily covering their mouths ours," President Mohamed criticizes Traders sell food at a busy market, which are no longer
with their hands. Abdullahi Mohamed permitted to sell any non-food items in an attempt to halt the
Somalia ranked 194th of warned in a public aware- leaders spread of the new coronavirus, in Kampala, Uganda Thursday,
195 countries in the Johns ness campaign. March 26, 2020.
Hopkins Global Health Se- A third virus case was con- Associated Press.
curity Index for 2019 and firmed in recent days. The By RODNEY MUHUMUZA reported in at least 46 of health care systems," said
scored zero in several ar- person infected is a con- and PATRICK ONEN Africa's 54 countries. Wine. "They have invested
eas, including emergency tractor for the United Na- Associated Press Speaking to The Associat- heavily in weapons and
preparedness, emergency tions at the heavily fortified KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) ed Press about the song, invested heavily in cur-
response, infection control compound at the interna- — Ugandan pop star and Wine — a popular musi- tailing the voices of the
practices and health care tional airport where many opposition leader Bobi cian, legislator and presi- people." As the coronavi-
access. diplomats and aid groups Wine, who released a dential aspirant whose rus spreads across Africa,
The country lacks essen- are based. song urging Africa's peo- real name is Kyagulanyi he said, "this is the time
tial equipment for the kind Somalia's fate depends ple to wash their hands Ssentamu — said it is time for them (the continent's
to stop the spread of the for Africa's leaders to leaders) to remember that
new coronavirus, is criticiz- channel more resources a functional health care
ing African governments toward building func- system is not only a bene-
for not maintaining bet- tional health care systems fit for the poor but also the
ter health care systems for that serve both the rich rich, because right now,
the continent's 1.3 billion and the poor. as we stand, they cannot
people. In his new song, "For a long time we have travel abroad for medical
"Corona Virus Alert," Wine been calling out the gov- care. They have to face
and collaborator Nubian ernment of Uganda, like the same ailing medical
Li highlight prevention many governments on care to deal with them.
measures against the vi- the African continent And this should be a mes-
rus, which now has been that have neglected the sage to them."q