A general lack of concern about the coronavirus, as well as stigma, and a devout Muslim-majority may mean a serious spike in Covid-19 cases
dan Abdullahi knows that visiting the mosque for evening prayers is forbidden. There is a curfew in place in the Somali capital, and authorities have pleaded with worshippers to stay home as coronavirus infections rise.
But elsewhere in the city, as containment measures are ignored or half-heartedly enforced, graves are furiously being dug to accommodate a spike in unexplained deaths. Humanitarian agencies fear the fragile state, already confronting an armed insurgency, a record locust invasion and heavy flooding, will not cope should the virus spiral further.
The World Health Organisation warned on April 23 that unless the rate of transmission slowed rapidly, Somalia’s parlous healthcare system would quickly be swamped.Instead, the caseload has ballooned as the government has struggled to convince people of the seriousness of the disease sweeping the globe, and the need to stay home and avoid large gatherings.
A curfew has proved fruitless in the capital — especially so during Ramadan, a time when Somalis visit each other’s homes in the evening to break their fast together, and pray even more than usual. Islamic tradition dictates burials should occur within hours of death, making autopsies and other medical testing more difficult.
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