Somalia: A local aid group files extortion complaint by Hirshabelle officials

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Somalia: A local aid group files extortion complaint by Hirshabelle officials

MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) - A local aid organisation has filed a complaint of extortion demands by Hirshabelle health officials in Jowhar in a time when 3.5 million Somalis already face acute food insecurity, as the number of severely malnourished c

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MOGADISHU (HORN OBSERVER) - A local aid organisation has filed a complaint of extortion demands by Hirshabelle health officials in Jowhar in a time when 3.5 million Somalis already face acute food insecurity, as the number of severely malnourished children is also on the rise.

The Nolol Awareness and Social Development Organisation (NASDO), a local aid group in Middle Shabelle has said two of its children's feeding centres were affected after armed men accompanied by Hirshabelle health officers demanded extortion money to facilitate the organisation's nutrition supply to pass through and reach the severely malnourished children.

"The extortion and intimidation by Ahmed Gomey, Hirshabelle's Head of Malaria at the Ministry of Health has become intolerable. The individual has resorted to fraudulent means by directly extorting money from aid agencies operating in Hirshabelle," NASDO Executive Director, Abdirahman Mohamed Hassan said.

According to WhatsApp messages seen by Horn Observer, the officer has been following NASDO for some time, asking for extortion money.

According to the messages, Mr. Gomey threatens to disrupt the live-saving activity if the organisation does not "resolve his demands of payment".

"If you want to operate in Jowhar, you have to pay me like UNICEF and others do," referring to UNICEF, a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children.

The aid agency NASDO strongly condemns the actions of this officer and said that it had reported to the Hirshabelle authorities and the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission.

Last week, the United Nations Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO) had warned that without urgent and scaled up support to the communities in the drought-affected regions, the situation will likely deteriorate further in the first half of 2022.

"The increasing humanitarian needs are coming at the end of an already challenging year. Government, humanitarian and resource partners must step up to meet this latest challenge," FAO said in a statement released on Friday.

However, insecurity and extortion by both al-Shabaab and regional authorities have been hampering aid delivery to the vulnerable communities. Minority communities are particularly excluded from getting food aid and several incidents were reported in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions where powerful clan militia were blocking displaced families to access humanitarian relief.

Horn Observer contacted Hirshabelle Minister of Health and the Governor of Middle Shabelle, but did not respond to our queries related to this specific incident.