Thursday, June 11, 2015
On 26th May2015, the Minister of Planning and International Corporation Somalia released a new Population Estimation Survey data with the aim of paving the way for an official 2016 census. The survey concluded that the country's overall population is 12.3 million people
Abdirahman Aynte, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation stated that his ministry acted because of the substantial need of obtaining basic data that would allow planning for the future.
However, the above statistical data on the Somali population is raising more questions than answers because it is a hastily prepared ‘survey’ and for the sole intent of obtaining ‘a basic data to start with the of planning’ without the due consideration of the reality on the ground
The truth is that this ‘survey’ is computer generated and it is remarkably tainted with inaccurate data. Some regions are still under hostile militancy, they are partially or totally inaccessible for any type of governmental ‘population survey’.
Hiiraan region is partially accessible and the flawed population estimate would likely represent the sites accessible to the Somali government with the total disregard of territories under militant occupation. Hiiraan population density as compiled in the said ‘survey’ is a defective misrepresentation of the reality and it use would jeopardize any governmental planning.
Accordingly, the Hiiraan Forum rejects such hazardous estimation for its lack of accuracy and prompts for an appropriate and reliable population census.
Secondly, on their demographic table, places Hiraan's total population of both urban and rural inhibitors at 216,916 people. This is inaccurate. Hiiraan is one the region with the highest numbers in all of Somalia since its growth in 1961.
Hiiraan was the fifth region with the highest population in 1961.
Not only with the numbers, but economically, the region's agriculture plays a large in role in the society. The river, the earth, crops, and the cattle supports the whole nation. This implies people are more likely to migrate to a place like Hiiraan, which will only increase the population, not decrease it.
Overall, Jubba, Banadir, and Puntland have rejected the report and Hiiraan should as well. There is politics behind it, which is to use the numbers to limit distribution of all sorts of resources and institutions. Not only have that, but this also to vent the number of lawmakers the every region in 2016. We believed this is too early, unfair and too vague. If this sort of business continues, it may just continue to tear Somalia apart.
Hiiraan Diaspora Forum
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