MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) The Director of Somalia’s Disaster Management Agency (SODMA), Mohamud Moalim, revealed on Saturday that the northeastern Puntland state had refused federal assistance in providing medical treatment to soldiers injured in the ongoing conflict against ISIS militants.
Moalim, speaking from Jalalaqsi town in Hiran region, said that he personally reached out to Puntland President Saeed Abdullahi Deni, requesting permission for SODMA to evacuate the wounded soldiers for treatment and to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need. However, Deni reportedly rejected the request, citing his ongoing political dispute with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, though no further explanation was provided.
Moalim expressed concern over the situation, highlighting the paradox of regional states, which were established to decentralize public services and ensure that every Somali citizen has access to vital services, now obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance. He likened the refusal to that of Al-Shabaab insurgents. He questioned the government’s ability to distribute humanitarian aid effectively if parts of the country, including regions controlled by Al-Shabaab, remain inaccessible and regional authorities themselves act as barriers.
Puntland officials have yet to respond to Moalim’s comments, though the SODMA director has faced longstanding accusations of corruption, aid mismanagement, and the politicization of humanitarian assistance.
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