(Above: Reuters video posted on The Guardian's website depicting the moment of impact)
On April 4, a young woman strapped with explosives detonated her suicide belt during a ceremony at the Somali National Theatre, just as Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was delivering a speech to around 200 people.
Four people, including top sports officials, died in the explosion at the newly reopened theatre at the event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Somalia's first satellite broadcaster.
Ten journalists were injured, some more seriously, in the blast, which the militant group Al-Shabaab took responsibility for.
On April 20, the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) delivered $9,000 (QAR 32,769) in medical assistance to six of them, provided by the Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF).
“It is a honour for NUSOJ to hand over $2000 to our colleague Said Warsame Shuuriyako,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General. “This medical assistance was given to six wounded journalists among others, though Said Warsame’s condition is very critical and he needs outside medical assistance, since doctors declared that he cannot be treated in Somalia”
Speaking from his hospital bed with visible burns on his body, Said Warsame thanked NUSOJ and the Somali Journalists for organising the urgent medical assistance.
But “he seemed demoralised,” a report by the NUSOJ read.
Mohamed Yusuf Hassan, the Director of Madina Hospital said Said Warsame’s “extensive burns have been treated, but the patient needs an urgent consultation with an orthopedic surgeon not available in Mogadishu at this time.”
The DCMF assistance package was delivered to: Said Warsame Shuuriyaako, who works for Shabelle Radio, Deeqo Mohamed Ahmed of SNTV-US, Ahmed Ali Kahiye a journalist with Kulmiyw Radio, Hamdi Muhumad Hassan who is with Somali Channel TV, Ayaan Abdulle Guure of S24 Television and Saleiban Sheik Ismailm the NUSOJ’s vice president.
During the process, the DCMF Emergency Assistance team also coordinated with organisations including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders in providing a total sum of over $22,000 in aid.
The DCMF will continue to monitor events in Somalia, where four journalists have already been killed this year.
