Eleven dead as diarrhoea hits Sanaag region

[gemini07]

NAIROBI, 17 April 2008 (IRIN) - At least 11 people have died in Dhahar district in the Sanaag region of northern Somalia, after an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), medical sources said.

"I can confirm 11 have died in Dhahar hospital since the outbreak," Abdulkadir Isse, a doctor at the hospital, said. At least 750 cases have been recorded since 10 March.

"Today [17 April], we have 400 patients in the hospital," he said. "We had 42 cases on 13 April, which was the highest for one day."

Most affected, apart from Dahar itself, were the villages of Barkadaha Qol, Bali Busle, Buran and Boda all in the same district.

However, Bashir Mohamed, country director for the NGO Horn Relief, said the situation had stabilised in the past few days. "We have been collecting people from the outlying areas for treatment," he added.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA-Somalia) in a report last week said AWD was spreading to rural and pastoral settlements in the district.

Health staff, it added, were not able to deal with increasing cases due to a limited capacity of only one doctor and two nurses.

Isse said the Somaliland administration and Horn Relief had sent medicines and fuel. Eastern Sanaag is claimed by both the self-declared republic of Somaliland and the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland.

The outbreak, according to Isse, started after people used water that had been standing a long time and was probably contaminated. The only borehole in the town had broken down earlier.

"The movement of pastoralists looking for water and pasture for their livestock during the current drought may also have contributed to the spread of the AWD," he added.

Meanwhile, the UN Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, said he was encouraged by the latest positive political developments taking place regarding Somalia.

"I am particularly encouraged that President [Abdullahi] Yusuf emphasised that he is willing to do whatever it takes to promote peace and stability and former Speaker Sharif Hasan Shaykh Adan declared that the Somali problem cannot be solved militarily," Ould-Abdallah said in a statement on 16 April.'




AUN

[neocon_2007]

Great PR more UNDP workers in Sanaag and co-operation with Maakhir State.

Allsanaag is a PL slut.

[gemini07]

why so angry neocon ,hmmm

allsanaag is naughty ,yes

[neocon_2007]

Angry? This is sad news

Maakhir needs the feature good or sad press means more attention and co-operation with the administration in Sanaag.

[gemini07]

serious question

are you the only warsan on somalinet ?

[neocon_2007]

Serious answer: No


Theres 6/10 of us here but this place is boring and qabilist which doesnt interest us.

[gemini07]

somalinet or the puntland section?

[neocon_2007]

On somalinet, between majority of us dont care for Puntland considering majority of Warsangelis are either from Badhan or Ceerigabo town or a tuulo in Sanaag/Bari.


Since theres more people posting on PL section I post here.

[gemini07]

mmhmm,if you say so

or is it ,you can't stay away from the MAJERTEEN charm

[neocon_2007]

When I first joined I thought Majarteens were Warsangeli wallahi no joke.

[gemini07]

there is not a lot of difference

seen as we have the same maternal and paternal lineage

waa walaalo

[neocon_2007]

My MJ cousins used to say they were MJ subclan of the Warsangeli when their were Shiirka Warsangeli. They still came along

[gemini07]

[neocon_2007]

Their hoyo and reer abtis are bah majarteen I understood the confusion too.

[gemini07]

saas idheh waan yaabay