SAPIC 21st November 2013, SAPIC held its 4th Town Hall meeting today in Adado as part of community involvement in a bid to end piracy in Somalia. The vice President of Himan & Heeb Abdi Mohamed Suldan Ahmed Nuur emphasized that the local administration is faced by challenges due to the presence of a high number of former youth pirates in the area. He urged the Somali Government as well as the International community to prioritize establishing alternative livelihood for the youth. "Wait and see is not an option for us, our children are dying in the sea we need to cooperate and find lasting solution for piracy menace in Somalia” he added. The Vice President commended SAPIC for allowing the community to participate and contribute towards ending the piracy challenge in the country’s coast.

The Chairman of Himan & Heeb Youth added that majority of the youth do not have jobs or good education. If the issue of unemployment is not solved, it can result in them turning to piracy as a source of income.

"Piracy has had a negative impact in the Somali family life. The levels of divorce has increased as well as family disintegration”, commented the Chairman of HawoAbtidon, a women organization in Himan & Heeb.

SAPIC program manager, Abdullahi Hassan Black emphasized the need for strong collaboration between the local administration, business community, civil society and the community to win the fight against piracy.

Contacts

Somali Anti Piracy Center (SAPIC)
Email: info@somapic.org
Website: www.somapic.org