Daryeel Magazine
Channel 4 News filmed with Abdullahi – a mentally ill Somali man. He was chained for 17 years in his tin hut, like an animal, 24 hours a day.
His family kept him locked up saying he was a danger to himself and to others. He was unwashed, ignored and isolated. Abdullahi’s case is not unusual. In Somalia, there is little understanding or treatment of mental health illness. Men like Abdullahi are the forgotten people of Somalia – known simply as ninka waalan or “the mad man”.
