In the line of fire – Somalias children under attack, Amnesty international, July 2011
“South and Central Somalia1 has been the scene of armed conflict since the collapse of Siad Barres government twenty years ago. Children born in 1991 in this part of Somalia and who are entering their 20th year have never known respect for human rights, peace, the rule of law and an effective government. While armed conflict has devastated Somali society as a whole, children, who represent more than half the estimated population of Somalia, have been particularly vulnerable to its impact. As a 15 year-old Somali boy said to Amnesty International in March 2010: Most of my life I have lived in fear. Somalia is one of only two states in the world – with the United States of America (USA) – that have not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The last two decades, marked by conflict between warlords and clans competing for resources, have seen the disintegration of public services and have taken a massive toll on the provision of healthcare and education to the Somali population, their access to food, water and other basic amenities. According to the available indicators from United Nations (UN) agencies, the mortality rate for children under five in Somalia is estimated at 200/1,0003 in 2011, an increase since 2010; there is one nurse or midwife and 0.5 medical doctor per 10,000 people. According to the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), only 23 per cent of children of primary school age are enrolled in or attend primary school in Somalia; the world primary school net enrolment/ attendance average ratio is 85 per cent. The prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia is estimated at 98 per cent, and it is primarily girls aged between four and 11 who undergo the procedure.”
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