A/HRC/45/52 22. Significant challenges continue to exist for humanitarian access across Somalia as a result of the security situation, with reported threats and use of violence against humanitarian personnel and assets, abductions of humanitarian workers, detention of personnel and beneficiaries, entry restrictions, disruptions to humanitarian activities and looting of goods.20 23. The Independent Expert notes the efforts made by the Somali authorities, United Nations agencies and other humanitarian actors. She calls for increased coordination between humanitarian and development actors and additional support for local nongovernmental organizations. C. Human rights implications of the coronavirus disease 24. On 16 March 2020, Somalia confirmed its first COVID-19 case and took a number of preventive measures to curb the virus, including the imposition of curfews, the suspension of flights, the prohibition of large gatherings and the closure of schools and universities. As of 30 June, the Federal Ministry of Health of Somalia reported a total of 2,924 confirmed cases, 932 recoveries and 90 deaths. 21 Decades of conflict have had a tremendous impact on the national health infrastructure and on the country’s capacity to respond to a public health crisis of this magnitude. There are very few hospitals, isolation facilities and personnel protection equipment and limited testing capacity. Since the onset of the pandemic, 133 health-care workers have been infected by COVID-19 in Somalia,22 which puts an additional strain on service delivery across the country. 25. At the end of March, the Federal Government launched a national COVID-19 preparedness and response plan and a comprehensive socioeconomic impact and response plan for COVID-19. It also launched a dedicated preparedness and response plan for internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities. In line with these plans, a number of positive measures have been taken at the Federal and state levels, in coordination with the United Nations and local non-governmental organizations and with financial support from the private sector and international donors to address the impact of the pandemic. These include investments in the health sector, the release of over 1,300 inmates to ease overcrowding in prisons and other places of detention, and fiscal and other economic measures to relieve the economic burden of the pandemic on vulnerable populations. 26. While commending the efforts of the Somali authorities and its international partners to address the pandemic amid the prolonged armed conflict and humanitarian crisis, the Independent Expert is concerned that some of these measures have seriously undermined the enjoyment of human rights. There have been reports of attacks against health-care and aid workers, excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies resulting in the death of civilians, violations of the right to freedom of expression and opinion and an increase in sexual and gender-based violence and forced evictions during the pandemic. 27. On 27 May, seven health workers and one civilian were abducted and killed by AlShabaab in Gololey village, Middle Shabelle Region.23 Since the attack, the local mother and child health centre, the only medical facility in the area, has remained closed. On 8 May, Al-Shabaab abducted three aid workers who were conducting a nutrition and health assessment in the town of Dhobley, Juba Hoose Region. On 24 April, a police officer shot and killed two civilians while enforcing the dusk-to-dawn curfew in Bondhere district, Mogadishu. These killings sparked violent protests across the city calling for justice and accountability. 24 The alleged perpetrator was sentenced to death by a military court on 20 21 22 23 24 somalias-response-to-covid-19-floods-and-drought. S/2019/884, para. 60, and S/2020/398, para. 64. See https://moh.gov.so/en/covid19/. See https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/COVID%2019%20Impact%20Update%209%20-%20publish.pdf. See https://somalia.un.org/en/48336-statement-abduction-and-killing-ngo-health-workers. See www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/anger-mogadishu-police-kill-civilian-covid-19-curfew200425143536573.html. 7