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A UN human rights officer traveled to the Horn of Africa’s Sool and Sanaag regions in July for a seven-day round-trip of more than 1,600 kilometers by road.

Sia Mawalla
Sia Mawalla

The region is home to approximately 600,000 people, many of whom the UN is attempting to assist as they face challenges ranging from inter-clan conflict to gender-based violence and human rights violations.

Traveling such long distances is routine for human rights workers and other UN officials in their efforts to assist those in need.

The recent trip included meetings with local government officials, civil society groups, and human rights activists, who advocated for greater press freedom, modern facilities for law enforcement agencies to better serve local residents, and improvements to IDP camps.

Security for UN teams on such outreach missions is a major concern, as is navigating long stretches of varying quality roads and avoiding avoiding wildlife – especially herds of camels