Jamal Farah Adnan said he had received according to government records, 15,294 anonymous threats and that an attempt had people had contracted the virus and 798 been made on his life by an Al-Shabaab people had died since the beginning of the member. On 6 March, the President of pandemic. However, given the limited testing Puntland said that the authorities had capacity, and under-reporting and registration arrested suspects in Galkayo and of deaths, the real figure was expected to be investigations into the circumstances of the much higher. Over the last four years, the killing were underway. The outcome of the budget allocated to health was on average investigations was not made public by the 2% as compared to the 31% devoted to the end of the year. security sector. On 20 November, radio journalist Abdiaziz The government’s response to the Mohamud Guled, also known as Abdiaziz pandemic was wholly inadequate. There was Africa, was killed in a suicide bomb attack, almost no capacity to test, treat and manage and two of his colleagues were injured. Al- Covid-19 cases and patients’ access to health Shabaab claimed responsibility for his killing. facilities remained severely limited. For much On 3 March, Kilwe Adan Farah, a freelance of the year, only one hospital in Mogadishu journalist, was sentenced to three months in handled all Covid-19-related cases across jail by a military court in Puntland. He had south-central regions, which lacked essential been arrested and detained in December medicines and basic equipment like 2020 by the Puntland Intelligence Agency, a ventilators and oxygen. From August, two day after he covered protests in Garowe town more hospitals, also in Mogadishu, were able against the government’s perceived to manage Covid-19 patients. Access to mismanagement of local currency. He was emergency transportation and ambulance charged with five offences, including services in Mogadishu and the regional states “publication of false news and bringing the was almost non-existent and the city had only nation or the state into contempt”. He was two ambulances which operated free of released from Garowe Central Prison on 22 charge for Covid-19 patients and served 1 March following a presidential pardon. nearly 3 million people. On 3 July, NISA officers in Balad Hawo Access to vaccines was severely limited. town, Gedo region, arrested Mohamud Only 5.1% of the population was fully Mohamed Sheikh also known as Lafagari, a vaccinated by December at which point journalist for the Star Media Network. The almost all the vaccines donated through next day, he was transferred to a detention COVAX and by China had been used. Limited facility in Dollow town where he was detained public awareness compounded by a lack of for three days and released without charge public information about the virus and without being provided with any contributed to people’s hesitancy to get explanation for his arrest and detention. vaccinated, even among health workers. On 5 September, a group of journalists HEALTH WORKERS covering a protest in Mogadishu were beaten Many health workers contracted Covid-19. and their equipment confiscated by Somali They faced multiple challenges during the Police Force officers. Following the incident, pandemic and put their own health and lives a video circulated on social media showed at risk. Some of them said they had not been police beating and dragging Bashir given enough appropriate training on Mohamud, a Goobjoog Media producer, handling Covid-19 patients and the impact along the ground. on their own health; they worked prolonged RIGHT TO HEALTH hours. In many cases, the payment of their salaries was delayed. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted a range of pre-existing weaknesses in Somalia’s public healthcare system. By August, Amnesty International Report 2021/22 331