Childhood under threat: The plight of Somali kids

[OLOL]

This is really sad and disheartening report from Unicef about the State of the world's children.

 

 

http://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/sowc05.pdf

 

 

In 2003, about half a million (516,000) children were born in Somalia . With an infant mortality rate of 13.3% approximately 68,600 died before they became one year old. Of the remaining 447,400 lucky enough to live through their first birthday, roughly 116,000 or one out of five died before reaching 5 years of age.

 

Approximately 331,400 or one of three made it through the obstacles of the most critical period of childhood (age 1 to 5). By the time these tenacious kids were ready to start primary school only 36,454 or one out of nine were fortunate to enroll in first grade.

 

These children lived in a society were only 29% had access to improved drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities were available to mere 25% of the population. With an annual gross income per capita of about $130 in 2003, these children are at risk to malnutrition and a host of diseases that kill in the aftermath of widespread malnutrition. Faced with these odds most of them are not expected to live beyond the age of 48.

 

 

Children Under 5 years:

 

• Somalia has the sixth highest mortality rate in the world. Children in only five other countries had higher death rates in 2003. They are Sierra Leone, Niger, Angola , Afghanistan and Liberia ranked 1 through 5 respectively. There is one thing that is common to all of these countries. They all fought or are still fighting long civil wars. It is not a coincidence that their children are dying at alarming rates.

 

•Somalia also has by far the highest mortality rate in East Africa Region. According to the UNICEF about 516,000 children are born in Somalia in 2003. Of these 116,000 or one of the five dies before each reaching the age. That is more than 22%.

 

•A Comparison of mortality rates between Somalia and other least developed nations clearly indicates that Somali children are dying at alarming rates even by the standards of the world's poorest countries. The death rate of Somali children under 5 years of age was 22.5% and that of the infants (<1 year) was 13.3% in 2003. The corresponding numbers for the least developed countries were 15.5 % and 9.8 %, respectively for children under 5 year old and infants in the least developed countries of the world.

 

Infants (Under 1 year):

 

The situation of the Somali infants was similarly disheartening in 2003. Somalia 's record included:

 

•The 8 th highest mortality rate in the world.

 

•The highest infant mortality rate in East Africa .

 

•The death rate of Somali infants was 13.3% while that of African Sub Sahara region was 10.4. That is to say, Somali children die at a higher rate than even that of Africa 's average

 

•Somalia has the lowest immunization coverage for children under age one. Only 40 % receive necessary immunizations recommended for the children in this age group. Compare that to the 68% coverage for children in the least developed countries.

 

•Immunization against Tuberculosis (TB) is at 65%. That is about 14% points below the coverage reported for the least developed countries in the world. At 53% Sudan has the lowest TB immunization coverage.

 

•Interestingly again, Rwanda which had seen a lot turmoil during the 90s (far worse than Somalia on some accounts) has an astonishingly 96% immunization coverage for children under one year of age. That is even higher than the 95% rate reported for the industrialized countries.

 

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[Baluug]

It's definitely a sad situation in Somalia right now when the leaders and warlords don't give a sh*t about the hundreds of thousands of innocent children ,but only about their own selves,but we must look on the bright side that these children are all Muslim and have reached the BEST destination.And we need to pray to Allah SWT that we go there with them and that these children will "put in a good word" for us to Allah SWT,so to speak.And after that,we must pray to Allah SWT that Somalia gets it's act together so we can have peace and then insha Allah not so many innocent people will die.

[Castro]

This is not an unforseen outcome of myopic selfishness. When one generation refuses to look ahead and create an environment where their offspring can live and prosper. I blame Somali men entirely for failing their women and children. When they're not killing them, they're abandoning them to drugs.

 

I feel sorry for the women and children. It's unnecessary and entirely preventable what they're going through.

 

What to do? I mostly do what makes me feel better about this whole thing. I help those close to me. But the most important thing I'm doing is honoring my children by ensuring that the brightness of their future is the sole reason I exist at this time. Something many fathers in Somalia either can't see, won't do or don't care about.

[Sky]

Somalia needs an increase of maternity hospitals as soon as possible. If the International Community doesn't do anything, I hold them responsible for the deaths of Somali babies. These numbers are sickening, it reminds of animal documentaries where only 1 out of 5 cubs survive. But this is about people.

[Valenteenah.]

By Sky:

 

If the International Community doesn't do anything, I hold them responsible for the deaths of Somali babies.

------->

 

 

From the posted article:

 

There is one thing that is common to all of these countries. They all fought or are still fighting long civil wars. It is not a coincidence that their children are dying at alarming rates.

[Sky]

What's your point?

[-Serenity-]

Oh OLOL, that’s heart-breaking.

 

I don’t understand waxaan saas isku badney.

[Valenteenah.]

Sky,

 

Just wondering why you would hold the international community responsible, when clearly there are other actors closer to home who contribute to, if not directly cause, these problems?

[Sky]

Zephyrine,

 

Of course they are to blame. As fidel said, Somali men have failed their women and children terribly. But we need to look at what can be done. The International Community has the responsibility to look out for nations like Somalia and has the means to do so. I accept the fact that we can't take care of ourselves, so the IC needs to help us with this problem.

 

My comment was maybe a bit extreme, I'm sorry this thread made me kinda emotional.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Sky:

The International Community has the responsibility to look out for nations like Somalia and has the means to do so.

Wrong. The international community has absolutely no responsibility or obligation to Somalia or any other failed state. They do try to help but even that is often met with ridicule and resistance.

 

The sins of the fathers are why these kids are dying. Break the cycle and stop your own sins. Let your kids have a chance. One father at a time. I'm not talking about religious sins here but those of abandonment, neglect, and laziness.

 

One quick way to do this in Somalia is the use of contraceptives and stop the birth of so many children. If you can't keep on child alive, why on earth have seven or nine? Against the religion you say. I'll tell you what's against the religion, it's neglect and careless disregard of human life once it's here. That's wrong.

[Valenteenah.]

Sky, I understand your point now. Thank you for the clarification.

 

You would have to be made of stone not to be affected by these horror statistics.

[NGONGE]

Fidel,

Yours are all great, practical and noble ideas, saaxib. But yaad waxan o sheegaysa dee?

 

Ignorance, superstition and unawareness are rife in Somalia. Contrary to what humanitarian reports say, this is not the result of war alone, this has ALWAYS been the case.

 

The tired old idea of giving them contraceptives is not very practical either. Knowing the simplicity of our people (all nomadic people) they’ll probably rib the top of the condoms off for a better performance and still think it will work. The women might take the pill once or twice, but like all backwards societies that rely on hearsay and rumour in life, they’ll soon stop using it because, allegedly, it’s a Western evil plot to wipe out the Somali race (a race, in case you didn’t know, that is essential to the workings of international diplomacy).

 

Even your defence of the women and attribution of blame on the men is faulty, saaxib. Nothing much has changed there. Somali life has always been organised, run and controlled by the women. The men always sauntered around and pretended to be “caqils†or what have you. The responsible ones sought work that took them away from their families for the best part of the day or went abroad for better opportunities, leaving the women home to do everything else (the only difference now is that these men go and sit in some dirty marfash, but this has no real impact on the woman’s role and responsibility). Men fight the wars and women fan the flames.

 

It’s painful to watch and hear about the unnecessary number of children that pass away in Somalia (and elsewhere), however, it’s the way of the world too. A few years back, death, disease, poverty, despair and starvation were things we expected and would take in our stride. Now, we all jump if a tiny spider or mouse was found in the room we sit in. Some of us mistake this new awareness of spiders in rooms for educations and knowledge! Comfort is what that is of course. It is nice to live in such comfort, is it not?

 

Enjoy it, savour it and always remember that we’re now part of the minority of people in the world that can afford the luxury of talking about dead children and how these deaths can be prevented. We can also get scared about a spider in the room without any of the people around us throwing an old shoe at us and telling us to grow up.

 

 

Having said all of that, there is no harm in one trying to spread the joy and attempt to save some of these dying children. In fact, it’s a duty. How would one do it?

(Blame the international community? Or blame the Somali men?).

[Castro]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

The tired old idea of giving them contraceptives is not very practical either. Knowing the simplicity of our people (all nomadic people) they’ll probably rib the top of the condoms off for a better performance and still think it will work. The women might take the pill once or twice, but like all backwards societies that rely on hearsay and rumour in life, they’ll soon stop using it because, allegedly, it’s a Western evil plot to wipe out the Somali race (a race, in case you didn’t know, that is essential to the workings of international diplomacy).

Ngonge, I reject that argument. Simplicity and nomadic lifestyles are no excuse for this. At least not anymore. If these same mofos, men, can walk around parading GSM and satellite mobile phones, their rejection of contraceptives is deliberate and, as you would say, obtuse.

[Pujah.]

NGONGE you make excellent point bro, but the million dollar question is, if those effected cannot afford basic food, water and shelter can we expect them to spend money on expensive contraceptive pills?. Its easy to blame Somali women what is obviously caused by Somali Men

[xiinfaniin]

Fidel aka Coofleh,

 

Contraceptives are no solution to the poverty and diseases, saaxiib.

 

The problem emanates from the lack of political and economic stability. In our case, it’s the direct result of institutional collapse. These are the grapes of prolonged civil war and you can’t simply remedy them by doling out contraceptives. To do so is both ineffective and impractical. But even worse, it’s gloomy shoots of despair to talk about population control in a land covered by the dust of death. Somalia is practically abandoned country.

 

If any thing, contraceptives promote teenage pregnancies and spread diseases. It gives false confidence for save sex. And I think Somalia would be better without these deceptive tools.

 

As for the solution for this problem, I say peace and stability is the key.