The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is launching its annual Ramadan food assistance to detainees. The assistance has begun in places of detention in both Hargeisa and Las Anod.
Over the next four weeks, each detainee in the different facilities will receive an individual food package, while the detention facilities’ kitchens will be provided with rations. Goats are also being provided.
The distribution is happening concurrently in both Hargeisa Central Prison and Las Anod Central Prison.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) launches Ramadan food assistance programs for detainees, particularly in places like Somalia and Somaliland, to ensure that individuals deprived of their liberty can observe the holy month of Ramadan with dignity and humanity. This initiative aligns with the ICRC’s broader mission to uphold humane treatment and respect the rights of detainees worldwide, regardless of the reasons for their detention.
The primary reasons for this program include:
- Respect for Cultural and Religious Significance: Ramadan is a sacred time for Muslims, marked by fasting, prayer, and reflection. The ICRC recognizes its importance to detainees, their families, and communities, ensuring they are not excluded from participating in this tradition. By providing food such as dates, goat meat, rice, beans, milk, and tea—items commonly used to break the fast (iftar)—the ICRC enables detainees to maintain their religious practices.
- Ensuring Humane Treatment: The ICRC’s core mandate includes monitoring and improving the living conditions of detainees. In regions facing challenges like drought or conflict, such as Somalia, detainees often endure harsh circumstances, including inadequate nutrition. The Ramadan food assistance supplements their diet, alleviating hardship and supporting their physical well-being during a month of fasting.
- Symbolic Gesture of Solidarity: The program serves as a gesture of compassion and inclusion, reminding detainees that they are not forgotten during this significant period. It fosters a sense of community and hope, which is especially critical in detention settings where isolation and despair can prevail.
- Addressing Local Context: In Somalia and Somaliland, for instance, recurring droughts and economic difficulties exacerbate food insecurity, making external support vital. The ICRC tailors its assistance to these conditions, ensuring detainees have sufficient resources to observe Ramadan when local authorities may struggle to provide adequately.
This initiative has become a recurring effort in many regions, reflecting the ICRC’s long-standing commitment—since the 19th century—to support detainees, particularly during times of cultural or religious importance. It’s part of a broader effort that includes regular prison visits, advocacy for better conditions, and facilitating family contact, all aimed at preserving detainees’ dignity.
