The Covid-19 statistics remains the lowest in the Horn of Africa in terms of confirmed infected cases as well as deaths due to it. Somaliland has thus far coped with the pandemic with minimum assistance from the outside world.
It’s however important to point out that it looks that the virus has established a firm grip in the country and that community spread is likely to have already taken place.
Our health care workers are doing a magnificent job and trying to do whatever they possibly can in an effort to cope with the pandemic.
If current trends prevail, our health care system will definitely be overwhelmed within a short period of time with the loss of many lives of our citizens if assistance from the international community is not provided immediately.
The health care systems of some of the most powerful industrialised nations of the 1st world such as the USA, UK, Italy ,France and others have been dwarfed by the pandemic. You could imagine what it could do to a third world country which is yet to be recognised by the international community.
Please take note that Somaliland is not part of Somalia and should be dealt with as a separate sovereign state. Somalia is adamant to keep Somaliland as a hostage internationally as it still claims to be part of its federal government after almost thirty years of reclaiming our independence from the ill fated union with Somalia.
I would like to appeal to the international community and the world powers to offer their assistance to Somaliland before the situation gets out of hand.
Hassan Ismail Yusuf
Former Minister of Somaliland Ministry of Health Development.