Letter.

Letter Published in The National UAE on 30Dec 19 Somalia tragedy: Distressing to read about terror attacks and the lives they claimI write in reference to your article Mogadishu attack: car bomb in Somali capital kills at least 79 (December 28): news about fatal attacks of any kind at any time of the year and targeting any one is very hard to take in. But the bomb blast in Mogadishu that has left scores of people dead in the Somali capital seems even more cruel because it claimed the lives of many youngsters who were simply going to university. Also, how cynical is the timing, given that a new year with new goals were upon them.Their deaths are not only a tragedy for the loved ones they have left behind but also for Somalia. Here is a country that has struggled with all kinds of strife for decades and yet there seems no solution in sight. Even though this is a time of year to be joyful and hopeful, I find this latest tragedy most distressing and disheartening.All I can do at this moment is pray for those who have died but also for those who have survived – in the hope that this will not happen again.K Ragavan, Bengaluru