MOGADISHU 30/6/2019: Somali Explosive Management Authority (SEMA) under the Ministry of Internal Security (MOIS) and UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) held two days Victim Assistance Workshop on 29th and 30th June 2019. This was aimed to be national consultation workshop bringing all relevant stakeholder including Disabled People Organization (DPOs), Federal states and other civil society organization (CSOs) together that provides an opportunity to share ideas and recommendations for the development of an inclusive national wide range of action plan that can engage the rights of disabled people who are mine survivors, affected families, and persons with disabilities The Victim Assistance Workshop was planned on 29th and 30th June 2019.
The meeting was opened by Deputy Minister of internal security and he welcomes on his remarks that the government of Somalia will support and outstanding the outcome of this conference also he addresses that people with disability and mine survivors are needier people so that he recommended a full collaboration within the stakeholder to cover their needs.
Mrs. Qurat Al Ain UNMAS Senior Programme Manager congratulated the FGS for the ratification of Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and highlighted that victim assistance is part of disability framework, which UNMAS is committed to supporting.
She added “This workshop is another step forward towards progressing the work on victim assistance in Somalia working in partnership with Somalia Explosive Management Authority (SEMA) and national stakeholders”
Mohamed Farah the founder of Somali Disability Empowerment Network (SODEN) have appreciated UNMAS and SEMA for their outstanding during a hard time of Somalia and he added Somali disabled people and mine survivors and their families need more attention and consideration he requested UNMAS and SEMA not only become their work workshop and seminars but also he requested a tangible work which can be uplifted the rights of mine survivors and disabled people in Somalia.
The meeting was concluded the second day and stakeholders and participants agreed to conduct a national action plan which addresses the needs and the fundamental rights of mine survivors, persons with disability and their affected families. The 7 pillars agreed was including:
1. Data Collection
2. Rehabilitation
3. Medical care
4. Inclusion education
5. Economic inclusion
6. Psychological and
7. Lows, Planning, and
Finally, the meeting was concluded by Deputy Minister of Internal security Mr. Abdinasir Muse and he welcomes the tangible outcome of two days’ workshop and encouraged all the stakeholders and other participants to change in to the action what we have discussed during the two days of the workshop on top of that he added his government will ensure the rights of persons with disabilities in Somali.
Conclusion, every citizen in Somalia has a right to a decent income, education, and training, employment, housing, healthcare, social and cultural rights. Depriving a person of those rights leads to isolation and poverty. Furthermore, it is necessary to fight discrimination faced by disabled people and their families in their daily lives, in order to tackle social exclusion.
