[Medical ★★★★]
(P1) A maternity and children’s hospital in Somalia’s capital built by a Turkish aid organization has opened.
(P2) Turkey’s Helping Hands International Humanitarian Aid Association laid the foundation of the hospital in 2011 and today the hospital building is completed, Sadık Danışman, the association of the president said on Thursday.
(P3) The 27,000-square meter hospital in Mogadishu has been stocked with equipment and medicines from Turkey.
(P4) The facility will provide operations, emergency, neonatal care, intensive care, and management services.
(P5) Danisman touched on the Humanium international child sponsorship NGO statistic that Somalia’s infant mortality rate is traumatically high “with an average of 180 deaths for every 1,000 births”.
(P6) Somali children mainly die from dehydration and illnesses like diarrhea, malaria, and pneumonia and cholera epidemics, Danışman added.
(P7) According to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Turkey has carried out humanitarian work across over 40 countries in four continents to help those in need after an earthquake, flood, fire, civil war or famine hit a region.
(P8) The total amount of Turkish aid for Somalia thus far has reached $500 million.
(P9) The UN has said an estimated 857,000 people inside Somalia are currently “in crisis and emergency conditions”, while almost two million Somalis suffer from food insecurity. Another million are refugees in neighboring countries.
WORDS: 210
VOCABULARY: maternity, stocked, neonatal, mortality, dehydration, epidemics, humanitarian, insecurity
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Why do you think the infant mortality rate is high in Somalia?
- Does your country supply aid to other countries? If yes, explain in more detail.
- Do you think richer countries should provide more help to poorer countries? Why or why not?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- What type of medical center was constructed in Somalia?
- Which nonprofit organization created the plans for the hospital?
- Which 5 services does the hospital give?
- Children in Somalia usually die from lack of hydration only. (T or F)
- How much money has Turkey donated to Somalia to date?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- laid the foundation (P2)
- Humanium (P5 – non-profit organization)
- Infant mortality rate (P5)
- In crisis and emergency conditions (P9)
Image source: AA Photo