U.N. Says Sexual Violence A Daily Nightmare In Somalia

Galkayo, Somalia (AHN) - Sexual violence remains part of daily life for women in Somalia as they move along roads, due to the presence of militia at illegal roadblocks, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says.

Women are also at risk in refugee settlements located on the outskirts of towns such as Galkayo, which are too isolated to be secure, UNHCR said in a report on the problem. Galkayo hosts an estimated 50,000 internally displaced persons.

A nurse says that rape had been a Somali disease ever since the central government collapsed 17 years ago. "Women are raped almost daily on the isolated outskirts of the town. We systematically do a tetanus shot; since young Somali women are genitally mutilated and infibulated, rapists always use a knife to rip their vagina open," she said.

Blood transfusions are often needed since many victims are stabbed.

A network of U.N. agencies - UNHCR, U.N. Population Fund and the U.N. Children's Fund - has launched a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence prevention and response plan to strengthen health-care capacities, train local psycho-social counselors and raise awareness about sexual violence.

"Women are the foundation of Somalia, the ones who make the building stand, but they need to be taught how to lead. What we learn today will benefit Somali women and their country tomorrow," says a counselor for female victims of sexual abuse.

"Violence against women happens daily in my country," she said, noting the prevalence of rape and female genital mutilation. "Who better than women can help put an end to that violence, provided they receive proper training?"