Women and children hand in hand made way to the main African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base in Somalia’s port town of Kismayo, to receive free medical check up from African Union peacekeepers. The free consultations saw over 100 locals. The patients were suffering from a variety of ailments including malnutrition and a range of infections.
“There is a little bit problem malnutrition between them so we are here to help them, at least to explain to everybody how to manage their daily things, to protect themselves, especially you can see a lot of UTI’s – urinary tract infection.” Garabed Jeokdjian, Physician
Kismayo’s residents, like most people in the towns and villages of southern Somalia, were some of the worst-affected by decades of internal conflict. Extremist group Al-Shabaab blocked humanitarian aid from reaching people in the region but Somalia’s government – with the support of AMISOM peacekeepers – now have the Al-Qaeda linked group on the run making it possible for people to get much-needed assistance. Medics from AMISOM’s Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) worked through the day to examine patient and dispense free antibiotics and other drugs.
“AMISOM is doing incredible work and we are really happy because they have also made it part of their work to help the community. They treat very poor people who can’t afford medical treatment, like women, children and the elderly. We are very grateful to them and we will always remember the support AMISOM gives us.” Ahmed Mohammed Hajji, Juba Ministry Of Health
Joint forces made up of the Somalia National Army and AMISOM troops recently captured the strategic town of Bula-Gadud town – about 30 kilometers north of Kismayo. Bula-Gadud has been a gateway for Al-Shabaab militia who used it as a base for springing attacks on Kismayo and its environs.
