Friday, March 15, 2013

Conditions Are Horrible for Prisoners In Somalia

Somalia: Prisoners under Diarrhea dire, with unlawful neglecting

The poor sanitation of Somalia prisons chills prisoners’ rights to health

The Somalia Social Workers Association (SOSWA) concerns over the amazing health conditions exist in across Somalia prisons with its sinister overtones. This concern comes after when SOSWA acknowledged that the prisoners in Somalia central prison are in line with dramatic diarrhea and cholera diseases due to the scorching typical weather over the last two weeks in which caused death and urgent horrified tones from the chief of the central prison staff.

Habitually, Somalia is hot most of the times but the months of March and April are the most serious months of high temperature scale in the country. According to the deputy of chief of the central prison Mr. Hussein Hassan Osman, two prisoners died due to cholera disease while nearby 10 others are ill and suffering.

“During this season our focus is to monitor and evaluate health services to the jailed people and we have to make sure that prisoner’s people have access to health services as we know that there are thousands of prisoners in across Somalia prisons as we also know that it is crucial to visit them and follow up their cases”. Said Mr. Daud Abdi Daud of SOSWA

Being in prison can have a huge impact on your physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, conditions in prison (for example, overcrowding, poor diet and poor sanitation) may also cause health problems, or make existing health conditions worse.

There are international standards that are relevant to health and medical treatment.

These set out the ideal standard of health care that should be provided in prisons.

Whilst these standards are not legally binding, they may carry political or moral weight and can be cited by governments, lawyers or individuals.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is relevant to health. It states “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself…including…medical care and necessary social services”.

Article 12 of the ICESCR recognizes the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. This recognizes that the standard of health that is “attainable” varies country to country.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the monitoring body of the ICESCR) has given some guidance on Article 12. The Committee has stated that Article 12 means that State Parties are obliged to refrain from denying or limiting equal access for all persons, including prisoners or detainees to preventative, curative, and palliative health services.

The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) recognizes the right to health in Article 16 which provides –
• Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health, and • State Parties to the ACHPR shall take the necessary measures to protect the health of their people and to ensure that they receive medical attention when they are sick.

However, SOSWA calls the federal republic of Somalia government that all prisoners should be able to spend between 12 hours and outside in the open air each day.

many thanks, Abdirahman Osobow Ali

Xafiiska Wararka Midnimo, webmaster@midnimo.com

midnimo12@googlemail.com

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