The African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)whose forces have been accused of deliberate shelling of civilians in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Friday announced the launch of two new humanitarian aid initiatives which it say is aimed at easing the humanitarian situation in Somalia.
In a press briefing in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Africa Union Commission for Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi said the first program will begin on Saturday. It will involve the provision of medical supplies and clothing to an estimated 1300 Somalis taking refuge around AMISOM camps in Mogadishu.
With the help of donors, the peacekeeping mission has gathered 14 shipping containers full of medical supplies, clothing and other assorted aid items for Somalis in need. The African Union troops will distribute half of the aid and give the rest of the supplies to the Somali Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
“unlike our enemies, we work very hard to save the lives in Somalia through humanitarian activities ,” said Wamunyinyi.
In apparent battle to salvage it image with in the Somali public and residents of Mogadishu AMISOM also plans to provide improved healthcare for an estimated 1000 young Somali mothers and their children in South-Central Somalia. The second initiative will start on September 22nd will go for two months.
AMISOM will work with the Coalition of Women Organization, a Somali NGO to convene seminars to create healthcare awareness and medical treatment for mothers if needed. It also hopes to reach out to Somali leaders and midwives.
“This is an extension of support to the ordinary people, mothers have been unable to access medication and other services,” he said.
Asked if AMISOM has measures in place to bring to book those who were responsible for the death of civilians as results of indiscriminate shelling by their troops, Wamunyinyi failed to identify any tangible effort but said “we are doing everything possible to minimize civilian casualties, Shabaab and other organizations are not doing that, we have take caution this is minimized,”
On Wednesday a top UN rights official called for an investigation in to allegations that African Union peacekeepers have been engaged in indiscriminate shelling of civilians in response to attacks from radical Islamist group, Al Shabaab. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights , Kyung-wha Kang said both the UN and AU should urgently respond to the allegations.
AMISOM is currently running two hospitals in Mogadishu providing medical care to more than 12,000 people every month. AU peacekeepers also provide roughly 60,000 litters of safe drinking water per day Somalis living near AMISOM camps.
Apporximately two million Somalis are in need of humanitarian assistance amid the crisis in Somalia. Clashes have forced more than one in 10 somalis to flee their homes in 2007.