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Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and the first recipient of Nobel Peace Prize. The 1864 Geneva Convention was based on Dunant’s ideas. Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, President of the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), was awarded the Henry Dunant Medal at the Council of Delegates of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement held in Geneva on 7 December 2015. The...

In the last few months, a number of attacks against health-care workers, medical transports and facilities have taken place in several countries, like Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen to mention a few. These incidents are taking place in countries with fragile health-care systems that are already struggling to treat the numbers of people affected by the ongoing conflicts there. In some cases, the...

Jowhar Hospital has seen an increased number of patients following an outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) in Jameco Mubarak village, 10 kilometers east of Jowhar District in the Middle Shabelle region. The Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) has deployed volunteers to assist Jowhar Hospital in response to the needs of the patients. While cholera has not yet been confirmed, there are concerns...

The first day that nurse intern Yahye Abdirahman reported to work in the operating theater at Keysaney Hospital in Mogadishu, a patient came in with serious gunshot wounds. Yahye assisted as senior surgeons steered the patient out of danger, calling the opportunity to help “a dream come true.” Dr. Tajir examines an xray from a patient as Yahye looks on. “This completely made me feel...

As dusk approached, a caravan of camels rushed towards a trough of water to quench their thirst after a long journey to Qardo, a remote town located in northern Somalia. Access to clean water in a country plagued by seasonal drought has become a challenge. The years of conflict have disrupted normal life with not nearly enough suitable water points. Herders are forced to travel long distances in...

Injuries sustained in armed conflict can lead to severe deformities or death if not attended to in time. Quality first aid delivered on the spot can make the difference between life and death during an emergency. In Somalia, where health facilities are few and far between, first aid is particularly vital as an initial response, providing effective and swift action that can reduce injury and...

“Good use of time makes the time even more precious”   Jean-Jacques Rousseau Time is a precious commodity. More so, inside an operating theatre (OT) where every second could make the difference between life and death. Establishing proper OT practices helps with infection control and efficient use of time. It’s crucial that hospital staff adopt the procedures to be able to serve their...

The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Somalia marked this year’s Ramadan by distributing food and volumes of the Quran to detention centres in Somalia. Among the food items distributed were palm dates, meat, sugar, tea leaves and milk. The holy month of Ramadan is a revered period of reflection, prayer and fasting for Muslims the world over. Muslims observe a daily fast from...

A building in Somalia that has been destroyed by years of conflict. © ICRC/Pedram Yazdi Somalia has been ravaged by decades of armed conflict which has disrupted livelihoods and thrown the social fabric into disarray. Seasonal occurrences of drought and floods deepen the crisis by creating an acute food shortage in parts of the country. Children, especially those under five, are susceptible to...

Since the beginning of 2015, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has provided food rations and other essential items to more than half a million people in Iraq. Vital medical supplies have also been distributed to 45 health facilities across the country. The delivery of these urgent relief supplies to victims of the ongoing conflict was made amid a number of challenges. Yet,...