Wednesday October 18, 2017
By Andrea Huncar
Relatives posting "beautiful faces" of young people still missing, says Edmonton man
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The province lit up the legislature in white and blue — the colours of the Somali flag — Tuesday in solidarity with Somali-Albertans. (Andrea Huncar/CBC)
The province is lighting up the legislature in white and blue — the colours of the Somali flag — in solidarity with Somali-Albertans and the people of Somalia.
Saturday's truck bomb blast in Mogadishu killed more than 300 people, injured nearly 400 others, and impacted countless lives. Many are still missing.
Alberta is home to about 30,000 people of Somali descent, many of whom live in Edmonton.
Many Edmontonians and members of the Somali diaspora across Canada have lost loved ones or friends in the massacre, while others are anxiously checking on the well being or location of relatives.
"Our thoughts are with them, we stand with them in their uncertainty and in indeed in some cases in their grief," Edmonton MLA David Shepherd told CBC News Tuesday. "We feel their pain, we feel their grief and we do stand by them."
The legislature will be lit up Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Shepherd said the Alberta government is available to offer support to help Albertans of Somali descent. Help may include connecting people with mental health services or getting in touch with federal government officials.
Edmontonian Yousuf Yahya's brother, who works with Somali Red Crescent, narrowly escaped the blast, leaving the office just 30 minutes earlier. Five volunteers were killed and several more injured in the explosion which partially destroyed the aid group's building.
Despite that, Yahya said his brother and the Red Crescent team are among those helping the injured and distributing blood.
That's just one example of the countless healthcare workers, survivors, soldiers and ordinary citizens turned heroes, in the aftermath of the attacks, said Abdifatah Warsame, a youth mentor from Toronto.
Warsame, who is visiting Mogadishu with his two young sons, was less than 150 metres away when the bomb exploded. He said the area was crowded with families and students before the attack
"Doctors and nurses were saving lives without power, soldiers were saving lives in the middle of the rubble, ordinary citizens were doing everything in their power to save lives," Warsame wrote on Facebook. "I see light under the tunnel. We have got to keep hope alive."
'Almost affects every family'
On Facebook, many are posting the "beautiful faces of young people" who are still missing, said Yahya. He added that overall security has been improving in Mogadishu, drawing many back to visit from the North American Somali diaspora.
"The Somali community, wherever there are — it almost affects every family," said Yahya. "Across the country in Somalia and here as well, and North America and Europe and everywhere."
Earlier this week the city of Edmonton lit up the High Level bridge to show support for Somali Edmontonians and citizens of Somalia affected by the attack.
Officials blame the extremist group al-Shabaab for the attack.