Somalia: Qatar neglects Mogadishu blast victims

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Qatar, one of the world's richest countries evacuated of some of the victims wounded in Mogadishu truck bombing to Sudan on Tuesday for treatment, Garowe Online reports.

The government of Qatar has dispatched a plane with medical supplies to Mogadishu, two days after more than 300 people were killed and about 400 injured in the deadliest attack in Somalia’s history.

High-ranking Officials from Qatar and several Somali Federal Ministers posed for a photo-group during the evacuation of the wounded at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport.

The Gulf nation airlifted 23 people, with severe wounds to Sudan, who were admitted to hospitals with no better healthcare services, food, air conditioners, and medicine, according to sources spoke to GO.

Questions have been asked on why Qatar, a close ally to Somali Federal Government has neglected the wounds and transported them to poor hospitals in Sudan, instead of the modern hospitals in Doha.

After reaching out to Emergency Response group "Gurmad252" in Mogadishu, numerous officials from Qatar, Sudan and Somali Embassy in Khartoum have visited the patients and assured to solve their issue.

"The situation of the wounded in Sudan is alarming as they were admitted to low-quality hospitals, with no air conditioners, some of them have no even toilets," said a student, who asked not to be named.

The ignored victims are expected to be relocated to private hospitals on Thursday.

Yusuf Garaad Omar, the Federal Minister of foreign affairs said in a Facebook post that he was informed about the matter and will act quickly to deal with it. Omar thanked Somali ambassador to Sudan and Qatari diplomats for fixing the victims' concerns.

Meanwhile, Sudanese health minister, Mamoun Humaida has confirmed the death of one of the victims who had succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival in Sudan.

The minister said 82 people seriously injured by Saturday’s truck-bombing in Mogadishu are now set to receive treatment at different hospitals in Khartoum.

Somali students studying in Sudan told GO that they will help their wounded brothers and sisters brought to Sudan by Qatar get full medical care if their current situation remains unsolved until today.

Pundits believe that Qatar's role in the evacuation of the victims of Saturday's truck bomb blast at Km-5 junction in Mogadishu is "politically motivated" after Somalia stayed neutral on Gulf diplomatic crises.

Senior officials at Villa Somalia, the country's Presidential palace who have a good relationship with Qatar are being accused of fuelling the political tension in the horn of Africa divided over GCC rift.

GAROWE ONLINE