By A.S. Muhumed
HARGEISA: (Somalilandsun):- Some organizations based in the country frequently distribute nutrition aids to the needy in IDP camps as well as the MCHs around the country.
It is shocking that there may be no dependable watchdogs that would vouch for the rights of the needy and vet whatever the so called benevolent givers supply or distribute to the poor.
Incidentally, pictured here is a packet of an expired food aid distributed to one of the IDP camp (State House) that one of the shocked and angry resident, a Mr. Yusuf Amin Hashi who happens to be in the camp’s Elders Committee, exhibited. It is quite clear and very vividly legible that the distributed item expired a long time ago hence is tantamount to be poisonous.
The questions arising thereof are:-
-Who are the distributors of such dangerous foodstuffs?
– Did they supply them to the poor folks consciously or unconsciously?
-Did they see the expiry date or not?
-Has anyone brought the matter forward?
-Has the state been notified?
-Was it aware of the distribution beforehand?
-Did the items get expired in our storerooms or were they dumped into the country just before their shell-lives were to be rendered kaput?
-Who is going to bear the burden of even such a thing to take place?
-If something bad happens who would be thus held ultimately responsible?
For instance, the country has its governmental organization which is responsible for the quality control; why has it let such a thing happen or how did it escape them?
The community has nothing else to do but highlight to the whole world and show that mostly International National Organizations and in-diligence are the main culprits behind such inhumanity if going by past experience can be made a yardstick.
This is not the first time that such incidents of distributing expired humanitarian aid to our community but we have seen many times in different regions of the country.
The governmental department in charge of the quality control should strictly ensure that goods, drugs etc in the country, whether commercial or not, imported or not, must be checked.
We have seen many pharmacists countrywide selling with impunity expired drugs to the community. Unfortunately our intellectuals and the government have ability to protect the people from such heinous crimes but nothing tangible to this end is envisaged.
