Monday, February 15, 2016
BAIDOA - Three boys, from left, Abdi, Ali and Bashir, all 17 years old, formally associated with armed forces, are at a training centre run by UNICEF partner, INTERSOS, in Baidoa, Bay region of Somalia. February 12 is known as International Day against Child Soldiers or international "Red Hand Day". Close to 100 Somali boys and girls have been enrolled in the vocational training, including plumbing, electronics, carpentry and tailoring. The life and technical skills they learn here will help them start a new life once they are reintegrated into their communities. The children also receive psychosocial counseling, and participate in basic literacy courses and recreation activities. Parents, community members and government authorities are sensitized on the impact of child recruitment and supported to be positive agents in the reintegration process. XINHUA PHOTOS - UNICEF/ SEBASTIAN RICH
MOGADISHU Somalia (Xinhua) -- A UN special advisor has called for a new approach to humanitarian support to address the problem of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia.
The UN Secretary-General’s Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Walter Kälin said durable solution for displaced Somalis was necessary for the Horn of Africa nation.
"We need to find durable solutions for them, we need to invest in housing, basic services, create employment and only then we can help the IDPs to rejoin the mainstream of life in Somalia again," said Kälin at the conclusion of a two-week-long tour to Somalia.
Kälin said the time had come to strengthen the link between humanitarian action and development programs as part of the long-term solution to the protracted displacement.
He urged those involved in humanitarian programs to look into solutions that can help IDPs integrate with host communities or return to their places of origin.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Somalia has more than one million IDPs who rely on humanitarian assistance.
The capital city of Mogadishu hosts around 400,000 IDPS, a figure considered high for a city hard hit by two decades of conflict.
The visit by the UN special advisor was part of a nationwide consultation with Somali leaders and relevant stakeholders to find durable solutions to the problems facing IDPs.
Minister of Housing and Works, Salah Sheik Osman said the government was ready to address the displacement problem and will work with international partners to improve the living conditions of IDPs.
"The government of Somalia is ready to tackle the issue of IDPs. We will create jobs for the people in camps," Osman said.