Late February and early March Somali forces trained in Ethiopia and Kenya launched offensive to oust Somali insurgents group Al Shabab in southern and central Somalia with the help from the United Nations, African Union force AMISOM and Ethiopian army. Since then the group have been pushed back and the government forces are in control over strategic towns. Mohammed Yusuf reports

Now we turn to Somalia where the Transitional Federal Government voted Thursday to extend its mandate by three years. Somalia was supposed to hold elections and vote on a new constitution later this year, but the extension indicates that will be delayed. The renewed mandate was slammed by the US and UN which, along with African Union troops, are propping up the transitional government. Somalia’s capital, much of which is controlled by militants, is often the scene of violence. Earlier this week, dozens were injured and 15 people killed. Adrian Edwards is a spokesperson with the United Nations.

“This was the worst incident in Mogadishu so far this year, although sadly the Somali capital is no stranger to indiscriminate violence. Last year hundreds of Somalis were killed. According to available UN figures, at least 7,600 people reported weapons-related injuries in Mogadishu – an average of more than 20 wounded a day, and making this the worst year in a decade for civilian casualties. One in five of those injured was a child. The Somali capital is without doubt one of the most deadly cities anywhere.”

According to the UN, one and a half million civilians are displaced inside the country and an estimated 600,000 have fled the country. The country is also experiencing its worst drought in years, and the number of people without adequate food and water is growing. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.
The drought has affected almost all of Somalia and nearly a 1/2 million people don’t have access to enough food and are in desperate need of aid.
Grainne Moloney is the head of the Food Security and Nutritional Analysis Unit. She says their biggest area of concern is crop production, increase in water prices and local cereals.
“Normally the dire season is less important to them than the long rains, however it can produce up to 35% of the annual serials production in the country what we have seen this year with the failure of rains had on 20% of the normal production was produced however given we had very and strong pumper harvest six months ago, when we combine both production we really looking at the average cereal production of the whole country.”
Southern Somalia is the most affected region, and virtually no aid reaching communities. Aid groups have been hampered in this region after the militant group Al Shabab banned them.
Moloney says despite the challenges drought stricken Somalis are facing, they are not passive and are adapting to the crisis.
“Different parts of the country receives different level of assistance of course one of the main strength of the Somali community is the level of social support and remittances either locally or from diaspora overseas, so that’s a very strong coping strategy for these population and they will also migrate to areas in search of water, pasture but this does unfortunately have negative impact on household it reduces the level of access to milk for the mother and children, the mothers who might be left home will have to go further to look for water, for food so we are seeing increasing malnutrition in the areas affected by this.”
FSNAU’s findings also show 21% of children in the Juba and Gedo region are malnourished due to lack of clean water and lack of access to livestock milk as people move with their animals from one place to the other in search of water and pasture.
British based Oxfam international is warning more than half a million people in Somalia are facing starvation and in dire need of assistance. Geno Teofilo works with Oxfam Somalia. He says the situation is serious and appealed to donor governments to continue to supply aid.
“To all donor governments remember Somalia, continue to supply humanitarian assistance to Somalia, because they are in an hour of need now and in the next couple of months the situation will get worse and the people of Somalia will need more assistance.”
THE UN estimates more than 2 million people need emergency assistance and more than 12 000 are reported to have moved to the outskirts of Mogadishu leaving drought stricken areas. MOHAMMED YUSUF, FSRN

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR has confirmed that three Somali gunmen killed a community organizer working with Somali refugees after following him across the Kenyan border. Ibrahim Mohamed was a community organizer who reportedly worked with Somali asylum seekers, encouraging them to remain in Kenya and not return to Somalia. Last week, UNHCR appealed to Kenyan authorities to stop forcibly repatriating Somali refugees from the border town of Mandera, where they sought refuge from recent fighting. The militant Islamic group Al-Shabab is a key suspect in the murder and is also behind ongoing violence in the region. Using al-Qaeda inspired tactics, like suicide bombings,al-Shabab has taken control of much of Somalia over the last year in what it calls its Jihad against the enemies of islam. Fighting between al-Shabab militants and government troops has killed hundreds and displaced thousands. The fundamentalist group has imposed bans on music and watching soccer and ordered men to grow beards, and; Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.
“One Sunday afternoon at 3, al Shabab militants knocked at our gate. When I opened, they asked if the boys were in the house. They were not there at the time but I told them to come in and look to confirm. They didn’t come in but instead one of them kicked me and I fell to the ground. They then started shooting and the bullets hit my both of my legs.”
Sahra, who prefers not to give her last name, was left on the ground bleeding. She screamed furiously for help, but no one was there. When her mother came to the door, the militants ordered her to lie down. When Sahra remembers this part of the attack, she gets angry and starts crying. Finally, she said, one of the al Shabab militants took sympathy on her and took her to the hospital.
“I stayed five days in the hospital with no one attending to me. My injuries started to rot. After one year and two months there were still no changes. They finally told me they were going to amputate my legs. My relatives had to contribute money for me to get further treatment, and that’s how I ended up in Nairobi.”
Sahra is more fortunate than others. With daily violence in Somalia, the hospitals are full of victims. There are a limited number of skilled surgeons and too many patients to treat. Many die from their injuries.
Human right campaigners are concerned about the increasing level of violence and human right abuses committed by the warring groups. Amy Agnew works with Amnesty International.
“The conflict in Somalia, it’s been devastating the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of people and particularly in the capital Mogadishu, any kind of torture or form of ill treatment or whether it’s carried out by the armed groups or by the government is done in the violation of international human right law.”
For Somalis like Sahra who have escaped the immediate conflict, there is still concern al-Shabab militants will cross the border and seek retaliation.
“The biggest fear I have is that the man who shot me has power over me. He can just say to himself, “kill this girl before she brings problem to you” and I may get killed. He is among the top ranking al Shabab and I cannot say his name.”
Human rights observers confirm Somali refugees could be threatened by militants who cross the border. Again, Agnew with the amnesty international.
“Certainly there have been reports of Al Shabab or other armed groups operating across the border from Somalia and in addition to this report certainly perception exists among Somalis that these armed group al Shabab are operating among them.”
In late October, the UN estimated 60,000 civilians were displaced along the Kenya-Somalia border during a week-long period due to the fighting between militants and pro-government troops. That same week, in central Somalia, al-Shabab militants publicly executed two teen-aged girls accused of spying.
MOHAMMED YUSUF, FSRN, NAIROBI

In Kenya, officials are having a hard time collecting much-needed blood. The National Blood Transfusion Services collects little more than half of the blood it needs for transfusion. According to some doctors, potential donors are afraid that they will find out their HIV status and are reluctant to donate. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.

Human rights groups are calling on officials in Kenya to do more to protect women and girls from obstetric fistula. The condition results from childbirth and causes women to leak urine and feces, often for the rest of their lives. According to a new report from Human Rights Watch, obstetric fistula affects tens of thousands of women and girls – and that’s just in Kenya. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.

Results from yesterday’s referendum vote in Kenya show voters there approved a new constitution by a landslide. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.

Kenyans voted today in a referendum on a new constitution. It’s the first national vote since the controversial presidential election two and a half years ago left more than a thousand people dead and a quarter-million uprooted from their homes. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.

With less than two weeks to go before a Constitutional referendum vote in Kenya, police are deploying security officers to the Rift Valley region – that’s the area that experienced the worst violence after the disputed presidential election in 2007. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.

The US government is facing criticism for its funding of the Somali Transitional Government, after the New York Times revealed evidence that it utilizes child soldiers in its fight against Islamist militants. Human Rights Watch says Somalia is one of five countries known to employ underage soldiers, yet has received recent military assistance from the United States. US lawmakers are beginning to urge the State Department to withdraw aid to the Somali government until it can confirm it doesn’t employ child soldiers. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.

The Somalia government vowed to continue its nationwide reconciliation efforts in a bid to pacify warring factions despite increasing attacks from the Islamists in the lawless nation. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Nairobi.