Tuesday August 31, 2021
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) have condemned on an SRCS clinic in southwestern Somali town of Bardere in Gedo Region of Jubbaland state administration.
In a joint statement, the two organizations have expressed their disappointment on the destruction of the clinic in their strong words, they also slammed the injuries sustained by some of the staff in the clinic.
"Our three colleagues are recovering from their injuries. We are assessing the damage to the clinic but the destruction is massive. The fire consumed the entire clinic and it took hours to put it out," said Ahmed Mohamed Adale, the director of the Somali Red Crescent Society.
The head of the ICRC in Somalia, Juerg Eglin, said the attack affected operations at the clinic, which conducts up to 2,000 consultations every month.
“This is unacceptable. The families who go to the clinic are now forced to seek medical care elsewhere. Under no circumstance should a health facility be attacked or healthcare workers injured," Eglin said.
Access to healthcare remains a problem in Somalia, with most facilities located in remote areas out of reach for many people.