Somaliland: The Looming Crisis of Covid-19 and Risk Factor of KHAT

[Deeq A.]

Hargeysa (PPM) — Since China has alerted World Health Organisation (WHO) to  cases of an unusual pneumonia on the 31st of December 2019, the world has seen a rapid rise of the number of infected people in over 150 counties. WHO named  the new virus Covid-19 and,  after careful study of pattern of infections, described it as pandemic.

The pace of the spread of the is observable in the increasing number of people affected in the six continents it has affected within  three months.

It has disrupted the way of life globally, with many countries first imposing restrictions and lockdowns to contain the spread of Covid-19. As the situation got worse, schools around the world have been closed, work-from-home approach has been adopted in several countries, events and other social gatherings have been cancelled, and self-isolation came to be enforced in many countries.

There was little information on how Covid-19 began to affect Africa has due to a fewer documented cases of Covid-19 patients. Many have attributed the low number of patients to the fact that the majority of African countries do not have direct flights from epicenter of the Coronavirus epidemic; others have cited other reasons including the truth that many of these countries do not even have the kits to test people thought to have symptoms of Covid-19. Others pointed to the inadequate health infrastructure of many countries coupled with delay in introducing measures deemed to be necessary in the fight against  the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, Somalia is said to be the worst prepared country to deal with Covid-19 according to the infectious disease vulnerability index (IDVI) created by RAND Corporation. “If this virus has killed thousands in developed countries like China, Italy, Spain, and in Iran, you can imagine what the death toll will be in Somalia could be if preventive measures are taken in due course,” Mohamed Mohamud Ali, Chairman of Somali Medical Association (SMA), told Al Jazeera.

Somaliland government, like Somalia’ Federal Government, has taken several preventive steps to prepare for the looming crisis of Covid-19. President Muse Bihi Abdi has formed the National Preparedness Committee for the Prevention of  Covid-19. The committee has  issued several instructions including a four-week closure of educational institutions, air travel restrictions, land border closures, the suspension of Berbera port activities except importing or delivery of necessary items such as food and medicines. These measures have not all taken immediate effect; for example, even though the schools have closed, other traders are conducting business as usual without following mandatory preventive guidelines.

Khat imported from Ethiopia

Despite the efforts of the Government and Committee, there is one big elephant in the room: Khat.  Dr. Sa’ad Ali Shire, the Minister of Finance, has said that Somaliland had spent approximately US$ 190 Million dollars on Khat in the first  six months of last year.

This makes the Khat trade the government’s second source of revenues after livestock exports.

Closure of the border has not affected Khat imported from neighbouring Ethiopia. There is no sign that the fast-moving trucks that deliver Khat in every town and village in the country are going to stop anytime soon. This situation remains unaddressed despite number of Ethiopians infected with Covid-19 going up. This complacency and lack of political will to enforece preventive measures masks the risk of Covid-19 catching Somaliland unprepared despite efforts of health professionals. 

© Puntland Post Monthly, 2020

Click here to download a full webzine

The post Somaliland: The Looming Crisis of Covid-19 and Risk Factor of KHAT appeared first on Puntland Post.