NO FOOD FROM LAND OR SEA

Somalia's problems began with the departure in 1991 of Gen Mohamed Siad Barre who had run the country for 21 years. The country, divided into several parts, now lies in ruins in the literal sense: broken roads, destroyed buildings and homes and starving people. The existence of a government in this African country is almost intangible.

The first thing that surprises you on arrival in Somalia is the airport of the capital - Mogadishu. It is only 100-200 metres from the Indian Ocean. Everything reminds us of the past here: servicemen with weapons at the ready and porters with antediluvian trolleys scurrying hither and thither.

As soon as you leave the airport, you are met by beggars. Begging for money from foreigners is a habitual business for these children. We get on the bus allocated to us and head for the city centre by dusty roads. There are posts everywhere with numerous heavily armed soldiers. They say that the Al-Shabab group, which was financed by the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, left the capital three to four weeks ago. It is assumed that this organization, which now controls about 30 per cent of the country, has large financial resources and numerous supporters.

The fighting and conflict, which have been going on for three years, have left their mark on almost every building. Many houses are in ruins, while tens of thousands of people, exhausted by the internal strife, have fled the city. The last census in Somalia was carried out in 1985. It is assumed that the country's population is approximately 10-12 million people now. The local inhabitants are dubbed the children of African women and Arab men. Until 1974, the country used the Arabic alphabet and then switched to Latin.

Debilitating drought

Somalia gained independence in 1960. If previously there was a drought once in 10 years, now there are regions where the last three years have not seen a single drop of water. Moreover, while the rainy season used to last a whole month, now it rains only two to three days. This has caused huge damage to the country's agriculture. Crops are dying and farmers are going bankrupt. The prolonged drought has already led to the impoverishment of 25-30 per cent of the population.

It is impossible to watch the situation in refugee camps without pain in the heart. Locals call these settlements death camps. Were it not for foreign aid, people living here would certainly die. But this aid is not enough - 20-30 children are dying here every day. The main reason is poor diet and a very low level of medical care, meaning that the body cannot resist disease for long. 

Due to the lack of water, women are forced to wash clothes in common mud puddles and bathe their children in the open air, using only one to two litres of water. Children's favourite toys are made of stone and clay.

The situation is exacerbated by problems with the distribution of aid coming from international organizations and foreign states. It turns out that wheeler-dealers are warming their hands on the human disaster. According to some sources, the humanitarian aid is distributed by a corrupt group that does not allow others to get involved in the process.

Even hallways are overcrowded in hospitals

The situation in hospitals is extremely serious. Most hospitals have no equipment and suffer an acute shortage of doctors and medical staff. There are so many patients that all wards are packed and many have to wait for medical care, lying in the hallways. No one knows when doctors will be able to see them - patients are dutifully resigned to their fate. They have no strength or desire to resist - this state of affairs is the norm for them.

Somalis give up on polygamy and families with many children

Somalis are inclined to polygamy and families with many children. The ongoing 20-year feud has led to the deaths of many men. In Somalia, where almost all people are Muslims, men have the right to have two or three and even four wives, of course on condition that they provide each of them with housing. Thus, each head of family has 15-20 children. But because of the critical economic situation in the country, the Somalis have begun to avoid polygamy.

No food from the ocean

In Somalia, which has a coastline of 2,689 km, fish dishes are a great rarity, but it is not because Somalis do not like fish. There are two reasons. Firstly, meat is a lot cheaper here - one kilogram of goat or mutton is $1.5, while one kilogram of fish costs $2, or even twice the price. Fishermen do not have good equipment either. You cannot go too far out into the ocean in boats that resemble old troughs. Experts believe that if the local government can secure the development of this industry, they can organize the sale of fish to European markets and earn a minimum of one billion dollars a year. Another interesting fact: a state with such a long coastline does not have any naval forces.

Security and gunfire

In Mogadishu, there is an ever-present threat of terror. Locals say that members of Al-Shabab are still taking refuge in the city. In addition, almost every Somali family is armed. The Kalashnikov rifle is available in stores for just $150-200. The assassination of the minister of internal affairs by his own niece three months ago once again demonstrated the relevance of security measures in the country. Foreign visitors arriving here and representatives of the local authorities move around in armoured vehicles. The African Union force of 5,000 contributes to the restoration of law and order to a certain extent. However, these measures are not enough. The weakness of the central government, economic problems and the drought further aggravate the situation. Every day, especially at night, gunfire can be heard in the city. It is not recommended to go out after 5 pm. Members of terrorist organizations consider fair-skinned foreigners to be infidels regardless of their religion.

Erdogan's visit

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who arrived in Somalia to provide humanitarian aid, was greeted almost as a saviour in Mogadishu. His visit led to increased international attention to the region. Now planes carrying humanitarian aid land at airports one after another. However, the main question is still open: what will happen after this aid ends? That's why hardships lie ahead for the people of Somalia and their leader Sharif Sheikh Ahmed in the future. The support of the international community on this is extremely important for Somalia.

The Turkish Red Crescent Organization, in turn, decided to help improve the public health situation in Somalia. On its initiative, anyone who takes out a carload of rubbish from Mogadishu will be paid $100. Thus, the central districts of the city, where it is planned to refurbish and whitewash buildings, will be cleared of the debris that has accumulated over many years.

Gratitude to Azerbaijan

On hearing about the aid rendered by the Azerbaijani government, business and public, locals did not spare words of gratitude and hide their joy. In view of the low level of education, many do not even have any idea where Azerbaijan is, but when they learned that it is a Muslim country, the joy on their faces doubled. Despite the tragedy of their situation, Somalis remain faithful to religious values. Even suffering old people pray and fast in the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

Prime minister invites investors, but...

While in Somalia, guests from Azerbaijan and Turkey were received by Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, who expressed gratitude for the humanitarian aid. He stressed that the Somali people would never forget it. As any head of government, Professor Abdiweli Mohamed Ali found it necessary to invite foreign investors to his country, informing them about promising sectors for investment. They are fishing and agriculture, he said. The prime minister diplomatically declined to answer the question about assurances to businessmen, saying in general terms that the government of Somalia welcomes such initiatives. Maybe, he just did not want to recognize the impotence of his government.

The strong always blame the weak

In Somalia, the tribes have real influence, and the state is controlled, so to speak, on the basis of federalism. In a country consisting of three regions, there are two autonomous entities. Over the past 20 years, Somalia has lived without a president and prime minister several times. In 2007, the Al-Shabab group, using economic problems, won over a majority of the population and established its own network. Now it is so strong that it can oppose the government.

To bring the situation under control, the government spends large sums on armaments. According to independent experts, military needs drain 85 per cent of revenues.

The new government of Somalia, where three or four prime ministers change every year, is only one month old. Time will tell whether this country, which was once the most beautiful in Africa, will be able to rise from the ruins.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also appealed to the international community to help Somalia deal with the humanitarian crisis. He said that 1.6 billion dollars were needed to normalize the situation in this African country.