By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Somalia, 3 July 2026 – Somalia opened a new health clinic at Mogadishu Central Prison with the International Committee of the Red Cross to improve healthcare services for inmates and staff.
The clinic was inaugurated on Friday by Somalia’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hassan Moallim Mohamud, alongside Somali Custodial Corps Commander Mohamed Sheikh Hassan Hamud.
Officials from the ICRC and Somalia’s Ministry of Health also attended the ceremony.
Prison Commander Dahir Abdulle Rage said the clinic addresses a long-standing gap in healthcare access for inmates.
“This was something we needed for a long time,” he said. “In the past, inmates often had to be transferred to outside hospitals whenever they needed treatment.”
He added that the ICRC had long supported the prison with medicines, hygiene supplies, infrastructure repairs and medical referrals.
ICRC Somalia head Antonio Grand said the clinic would improve access to basic healthcare for prisoners.
“The ICRC is very happy to inaugurate this clinic in Mogadishu Central Prison today, which we hope will help ensure basic healthcare for the many prisoners in this place of detention,” he said.
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He added that the ICRC would continue supporting the facility with medicines, medical staff and other essential services.
Mohamud said improving welfare for inmates is a core responsibility of the state and an essential part of rehabilitation.
“Only their freedom has been taken away through justice,” he said. “But we remain responsible for ensuring they receive the care they need.”
He said prisoners retain fundamental rights, including access to healthcare, and should receive proper treatment while serving their sentences.
Mogadishu Central Prison, built in 1930 during the Italian colonial period, is Somalia’s main correctional facility and one of the country’s oldest prisons. The prison has long faced challenges including overcrowding, limited healthcare services and security concerns.
In recent years, Somali authorities and international partners have worked to improve prison conditions, rehabilitation services and healthcare access for inmates.
Somali officials said the new facility is part of broader efforts to improve prison conditions, strengthen rehabilitation services and align correctional care with humanitarian and international standards.