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Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shot During Speech; Boris Johnson Resigns as British PM; Russia's Blockade Pushing Somalia Toward Catastrophe. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 08, 2022 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Public broadcaster NHK. It happened as he was giving a speech in the city of Nara in Western Japan.

[00:00:08]

Our Blake Essig is live this hour in Tokyo. And Blake, we are learning more details. We believe one person now in custody. What more can you tell us about this shooting?

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Lynda, very fluid situation. Japanese public broadcaster NHK is reporting that former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot in the chest while delivering a speech around 11:30 this morning, local time in Nara.

NHK is reporting that Abe was rushed to the hospital, bleeding from his chest in a state of cardio-pulmonary arrest, essentially meaning that his heart wasn't beating. That being said, we do not know the current health condition of the former prime minister.

Now, witnesses say that Abe was shot from behind. He didn't collapse after the first shot but did collapse after the second shot, and people at that point began conducting CPR.

Witnesses say that the suspect didn't attempt to run. He just got arrested on the spot. Several police officers on site were able to take the suspect into custody, and he's now being questioned.

Police did retrieve a gun, and the suspect, again, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

NHK reporters on the scene said that they heard two shots while Abe was delivering that stump speech. He was there to deliver a speech in support of Liberal Democratic Party candidates ahead of the upper house election, which is set for this Sunday.

Abe is Japan's longest serving prime minister, first elected in 2006, before serving multiple different terms over the years that had followed before stepping down in 2020 because of health concerns relating to ulcerative colitis, a long-term debilitating disease.

Now, despite stepping down, Abe remained a key player in Japanese politics, speaking very candidly about Taiwan, hinting even recently at Japan's increased military role, possible military role in Taiwan.

Again, Lynda, former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot, believed to be twice, rushed to the hospital. We do not know his current health condition.

KINKADE: And Blake, as you mentioned, the upper house elections are this Sunday. What does it say, because it's highly unusual, right, to see gun crime in Japan; especially shootings are very rare?

ESSIG: Yes, you know, look, Lynda, here in Japan, gun violence is almost non-existent. The number of annual deaths resulting from firearms hasn't reached triple digits since the year 2000, with the number of homicides involving guns often in the single digits.

And the reason, according to gun control advocates, firearm regulations here in Japan are extremely restrictive under Japan's 1958 firearm and sword law. Most guns are illegal in the country under the law. Possession really is only allowed if special approval is obtained. And before that can even happen, you must pass a background check and explain to police why you need a gun, receive formal instruction, and pass a collection of written, mental and drug tests.

And while it is rare, when it comes to mass killings here in Japan, often, it's these -- these people that are resorting to knives or arson, instead of guns. So gun violence in Japan, incredibly rare.

KINKADE: And as you mentioned earlier, Blake, the former prime minister has a chronic health condition. He was the longest-serving prime minister in Japan. He served twice, first in 2006, again from 2012. And then he resigned in 2020 because of that health condition. Has he been seen much in public since his resignation?

ESSIG: You know -- you know, Lynda, again, you're talking about his health condition. You know -- you know, it can be treated, and he was using medication to treat his health condition, which allowed him to, you know, seek reelection in 2017.

But, you know, ever since stepping down, he has been active. We've seen him, again, talk very openly, candidly about the potential for Japan to get involved militarily in Taiwan, if China were to -- to invade.

And so you've seen him almost, you know, transition away from -- from being in public office, where he might have had to watch what he had said to make sure that he he's -- didn't upset, you know, China or any other countries around the world in this region. And really has been able to speak more candidly, and he has done so since stepping down and resigning from being Japan's prime minister in 2020.

[00:05:06]

So being involved in the LDP run-up to the election to generate support for candidates, he's been very much seen as a kingmaker here in Japan. Again, you know, highly respected, longest serving prime minister. You know, getting his stamp of approval goes a long way here in Japanese politics. KINKADE: And just on that note, just how popular is Shinzo Abe, given

that he was the longest serving former prime minister?

ESSIG: You know, I think -- I think it varies. I mean, I think a lot of people absolutely support, the majority support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Again, when you look at the amount of times that he was reelected as prime minister, you know, known for his Abenomics, his economic plan.

You know, and then more recently, you know, the -- his more hawkish approach to Japan's military. And again, in a country like Japan, where the pacifist constitution exists, and you know, there is a long history of not wanting to build up, whether it's a military that would be able to be deployed outside of Japan or strike targets outside of Japan, prime minister -- the former prime minister has definitely been an advocate of -- of working within that pacifist constitution to better defend Japan moving forward.

And so I think that, on the ground here, you know, that is a -- there's a sense that that -- it's is a popular thought at this point, recognizing that here in Japan, surrounded by Russia, surrounded by North Korea and China, I've talked to many people, many high-ranking officials within the Japanese government who say that -- that the security environment surrounding Japan right now is the worst it's been since shortly after the end of World War II.

And so in order to protect itself, looking at what has happened with the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan and the concern that, even though there's a security pact between the two nations, that the United States would come to Japan's defense if Japan was attacked, there's a concern that that might not be the case. And the fact that Japan needs to take its own security into its own hands, and I think that prime minister Abe was a big advocate of that.

KINKADE: And Blake, just for viewers joining us right now, just recap what we know about the shooting. The former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, believed to have been shot twice in the chest.

ESSIG: Yes, again, NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, reporting that the shooting took place around 11:30 this morning local time in the western city of Nara. NHK reporting that he has since been rushed to the hospital, bleeding from his chest, essentially in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, which could mean that his heart was not beating or he wasn't breathing.

That all being said, Lynda, again, we really do not know at this point the current health condition of the former prime minister. But witnesses on the scene say that he was shot from behind. He didn't collapse after the first shot, but did collapse after the second shot. At that point, people began conducting CPR.

Witnesses say on the scene that the suspect didn't attempt to run. He was arrested by several police officers on site, taken into custody, being questioned at this time. Police did retrieve a gun from the suspect, who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. NHK reporters on the scene did report, again, two shots. Believed the the suspect came and shot Abe from behind, while he was delivering that speech in Japan's western city.

Again, he was there to deliver a stump speech in support of Liberal Democratic Party candidates ahead of this Sunday's upper house election.

But again, Lynda, to recap, prime minister, longest serving prime minister in Japan's history, shot. We do not know at this point his condition. A very fluid situation. We're learning more details by the minute.

KINKADE: Blake Essig, staying across it for us from Tokyo. Our thanks to you.

And we are going to stay on this story. I want to welcome David Sanger, former "New York Times" Tokyo bureau chief.

David, thanks for joining us. We are learning that the former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, shot twice in the chest. He collapsed, went into cardiac arrest. What's your reaction?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, first, this is incredibly rare in Japan. I lived in Japan as a correspondent and "The Times" bureau chief for six years, from 1988 to 1994, just as Abe Shinzo was first getting elected to the Japanese Diet. Knew him as a young politician.

And if there were any shootings in Japan at that time, they were usually yakuza, you know, organized crime groups, that were shooting each other. But the idea of political assassination, almost unheard of, as gunfire is so rarely heard of in Japan. Interesting --

KINKADE: And interesting, you say that, you know, political assassinations, you have to go back to the '30s to even --

SANGER: That's right.

KINKADE: -- think of a time when that may have happened. And interestingly so, in this case, he's not currently the leader of the country. He's a former leader. Just explain for us his standing in the country.

SANGER: Well, he was the leader of the conservative party. He was the longest serving prime minister. He served from 2012 until 2020. That's an incredibly long tenure in the Japanese political system.

He was a controversial figure. He was pretty right-wing. He pushed for a much stronger Japanese military. He refused to back down on admitting to Japanese war crimes during World War II.

He was a pretty hardliner on the demands that Japan make reparations, particularly to Korean women and their families, who had been dragged into sexual servitude in World War II. So he was controversial. But, at the same time, he really cemented the alliance with the United

States. He was praised for the early handling of the virus, and he dealt with all the virus issues pretty well. It was only later on that Japan ran into issues.

And he really worked hard to nurture a relationship with president Trump, which was not easy. They bonded over golf, when they were disagreeing over trade.

KINKADE: And he certainly, in his time as prime minister, met with many world leaders. We're just getting a tweet in from former Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who tweeted that he was "Horrified by this terrible news from Japan." He said, "Abe Shinzo is one of the great leaders of our time. Right now, we must hope and pray that he pulls through."

Clearly, this is having reverberations around the world. This is highly, highly unusual, as you say, to see gun violence or a political assassination in Japan.

Can you explain for us, David, what sort of security detail a prime minister or a former leader in Japan would have? When you consider what some leaders, especially here in the U.S., go through and the sort of security detail that they have with them anywhere they go, even once they've done their time serving in office.

SANGER: Well, pretty light. He was back in the Diet. From the few photographs and video that we have seen from the event, which looked to be outside a train station in Nara, not far from Kyoto, he -- it looked like people could, you know, get in pretty close to him.

And it would be sort of unimaginable in an American context for a former president, for example, to have security that was that light.

But in the Japanese system, when you go back into the parliament, you're another parliament member. And, you know, I remember, in covering many Japanese campaigns, you could basically go right up to the candidate. It's really -- it's really handshake campaigning.

Every time that there is an act of violence in Japan, even a non-gun- related act of violence, Japanese always say this never happens here. And the security rarely tightens much.

I'm sure you'll discover there was some police around, perhaps a couple of dedicated guards to him. But obviously, it looked from the video as if the shots were fired from a pretty close range.

KINKADE: And David, he resigned because of his chronic health condition. What sort of impact did that condition have on him, as he -- you know, in the years that he led the country and in those final few months before he resigned?

SANGER: Well, he's had this condition for many years. And it contributed to his resignation from a previous time he had been prime minister back in 2006, 2007.

[00:15:10]

But it seemed to tire him. I think it made it hard for him to keep up the kind of schedule that a world leader requires. At the time he resigned, though, his popularity had also begun to wane. No surprise after that many years in office.

So I think it was the combination of health and the recognition that he didn't command the kind of leadership role that he had had early on that contributed to his decision.

But as you heard before, still one of the most influential voices on the conservative side of Japanese politics.

KINKADE: David Sanger, really good to get your perspective and insight. Former bureau chief at Tokyo for "The New York Times." Thanks so much.

SANGER: Thank you.

KINKADE: And we will continue to stay on this breaking news out of Japan. The former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, shot twice in the chest. Stay with us. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:18]

KINKADE: Welcome back. We're following breaking news out of Japan, where former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been rushed to hospital, after possibly being shot twice.

It happened as he was giving a speech in the city of Nara in western Japan. The suspect is in custody.

Abe is the country's longest serving prime minister, in office from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. He stepped down into September of 2020, citing health problems.

Well, for more now, I want to bring in Nancy Snow, a director at the International Security Industrial Council in Japan. She's speaking to us from New York.

Thanks for joining us. You, of course, have spent years writing about Shinzo Abe, his brand of Abenomics, how he shaped the country as the longest serving prime minister. This, of course, is a huge shock in a country where gun violence is extremely rare.

NANCY SNOW, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL SECURITY INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL: That's right. It's not only rare, private ownership is rare, but it's really culturally unfathomable. The Japanese people can't imagine having a gun culture like we have in the United States.

And that's why this is a speechless moment. I really feel at a loss of words. Of course, I pray for the best for the former prime minister. But what this will do to the national psyche of a people who move about freely and have a social contract with each other, that they will not resort to this type of violence. I just -- I'm devastated, thinking about that. That's why I live in Japan, for the safety and the security and the relaxation.

We have natural occurrences. Of course, 3/11, after 3/11, we were wearing the arm bands, "Pray for Japan." And the world was very sympathetic to earthquakes and tsunamis. But this is its own version, emotionally, of that natural occurrence, and I think it will change Japan, unfortunately, forever.

Because it's really been an oasis, and it's shown what it can teach the world. I wrote a piece for "The Japan Times" almost five years ago, "What Japan Can Teach the U.S. About Guns." And it was after the Las Vegas mass shooting.

And I -- I just -- I really -- I know that when I talk to my students in Japan, we almost can't even go there. We can't even talk about this way that we live in the United States, with using a gun as a form of protection. It's very upsetting. And so it's too hypersensitive, really, a discussion point.

Well, now it's been brought home, and it's been brought home to, really, the national face brand of this country for so many years. He's still a major statesman.

He was recently interviewed during the Quad meeting by the WION Indian news. He had a sit-down interview. He looked very well.

I'm worried that we're not getting an update on his condition, because I think, again, it is going to be such a shock. And I'm already hearing from Japanese friends reporting what has happened there. And it's -- it's hard, really, to formulate any -- any words right now, but I just pray for the comfort of the people in Japan.

KINKADE: Japan's --

SNOW: And it's an incredible country. Many people want to visit there for good reasons.

KINKADE: Yes. And given, Nancy, what you say about the lack of guns on the streets, in the hands of people in Japan, can you give us a sense of the sort of security detail around a former prime minister?

SNOW: Well, my goodness, I was recently at a conference in central Tokyo, where I live. And there was a former prime minister there, whom I was able to talk to and greet. There was very low security.

Once we were approved as participants at this conference, we sort of recognized each other. And it's very different in the United States, of course, for obvious reasons.

[00:25:05] But as I say, I think this will -- this will change the security fabric of the nation. And we have been able to come and go. I haven't been near the former prime minister Abe. I did meet him, because I was an Abe fellow, which is a tribute to his father, Shintaro, who was once the longest serving foreign minister before the current prime minister, Kishida.

And so I was able to be in the same room with Prime Minister Abe and his mother. And it was the 25th anniversary of the Abe fellowships. And I was even taken aback by that, I mean, to have that kind of proximity.

But again, there is that feeling of security. As a woman walking around, sometimes when I return to Tokyo and I'm jet-lagged, I'll get up. It will be the middle of the night. I know I can walk all over the city. Greater Tokyo is 35 million people, and Central Tokyo is some 12, 13 million. And I have no problem doing that. I'm not even -- I don't have any form of protection because I know I'm safe.

KINKADE: Yes.

SNOW: So that's going to be a loss.

But especially right now, my heart is breaking for the Japanese people. And of course, I'm waiting to hear what I hope will be the recovery of the former prime minister, Abe.

I was just writing about him today, as somebody who really helped to elevate the visibility of Japan and its global communications. I give him a lot of credit for that, even when I was often a critic of his policies. I was never a critic of him personally.

And that's why my heart is breaking for him, his family, but also for the entire nation. And I know that everywhere around the world, we pray for the best outcome here.

KINKADE: Yes. Certainly, a huge shock, the former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, shot twice in the chest.

Nancy Snow, International Security Industrial Council Japan director, thanks for your time.

SNOW: Thank you.

KINKADE: And we are getting some tweets in from world leaders. We've just got a tweet from the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emmanuel, who tweeted, "We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former prime minister Abe Shinzo. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. And the U.S. government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family and the people of Japan."

We will continue to stay on this breaking news this hour. Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe apparently shot while giving a campaign speech. We'll go live to Tokyo when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:32:21]

KINKADE: Hello I'm Lynda Kinkade. We have more on our breaking news this hour.

NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, reporting that former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been rushed to hospital after possibly being shot. Abe was making a campaign speech in the western city of Nara.

I want to go to CNN's Blake Essig, who joins us live from Tokyo with more on the developments we're learning. And Blake, we understand one person is in custody. The former prime minister possibly shot twice in the chest.

ESSIG: Yes, Lynda, that suspect believed to be a man in his 40s. You know, but more on that in just a minute.

NHK reporting that former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has been shot in the chest during -- while he was delivering a speech around 11:30 this morning local time in the western city of Nara.

He was rushed to the hospital bleeding from his chest, in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, essentially meaning that he might not have been breathing, and his heart might not have been beating, although NHK says that Abe was conscious and responsive while being transported after the shooting.

Details of his, you know, current condition at this point are really murky. We do not know how he's doing at this point.

Witnesses on the scene say that Abe was shot from behind, shot twice. He didn't collapse after the first shot but did collapse after the second shot. At that time, people were able to conduct CPR.

Witnesses say the suspect didn't attempt to run. He was arrested on the spot by several police officers on site, taken into custody, and is being questioned at that point.

The suspect, again, believed to be a man in his 40s, has been arrested in possession of a gun.

NHK reporters on the scene heard two shots while he was -- Abe was delivering that speech. He was there in Japan's western city to deliver a stump speech ahead of the upper house election set for this Sunday.

Abe, Japan's longest serving prime minister, first elected in 2006 as the youngest prime minister at that time ever, before stepping down in 2020 because of health concerns related to ulcerative colitis, a long- term debilitating disease.

Now, despite stepping down, Abe remained a key player in Japanese politics, speaking very candidly about Taiwan and hinting at Japan's increased military role, and military role, possibly, in Taiwan. That being said, some of his policies and remarks have been seen as

controversial, with critics saying that some of his policies operated outside of Japan's pacifist constitution, including revising the defense policy to allow for Japanese troops to fight overseas for the first time since World War II.

[00:35:13]

And he also had intentions to revise the constitution to legitimize the military.

Lynda, here in Japan, the gun violence, just in general, is almost nonexistent. And so, you know, the fact that the former Japanese prime minister has been shot, you know, potentially two times and is all likelihood fighting for his life right now is just hard to fathom.

KINKADE: Yes, gun violence incredibly rare. And Blake, also, gun ownership especially rare right across Japan. It's quite difficult to even get a gun, right?

ESSIG: Yes. I mean, look, gun violence, gun ownership, almost nonexistent. The number of annual deaths resulting from firearms hasn't reached triple digits since the year 2000, with the number of homicides involving guns often in the single digits.

And the reason, according to gun control advocates, is that firearm regulations are extremely restrictive here in Japan. Under a law passed in 1958, the Firearm and Sword Law, most guns are illegal in the country. Under that law, possession is only allowed if special approval is obtained, and before that can happen, you must pass a background check, to explain to police why you even need a gun. You need to receive formal instruction, pass a collection of written, mental and drug tests.

You know, all of those things, you know, considered when it comes to any mass killings, like what we see play out in the United States all too often. Here in Japan, those responsible for resorting to those kinds of mass killings often use knives or arson instead of guns, just because of how restrictive the gun policies are here in Japan.

KINKADE: Blake Essig for us in Tokyo. We will come back to again soon with more updates on this story. Our thanks to you.

The former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, reportedly shot twice in the chest. We will stay on that story.

We're also going to cover politics in Britain, where the former prime minister -- well, current prime minister, Boris Johnson, has announced his resignation. But he says he isn't stepping down right away. We'll explain why when CNN NEWSROOM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:41:27]

KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. We are following the breaking news out of Japan, where former prime

minister Shinzo Abe has been rushed to a hospital after being shot.

It happened as he was giving a speech in the city of Nara in western Japan.

The fire department reports that Abe was in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest. Abe is the country's longest serving prime minister, in office from 2006 to 2007, and again from 2012 to 2020.

He stepped down in September of 2020, citing health problems.

Well, nearly a day after the British prime minister resigned, there are pressing questions about the next government and how it will operate without Boris Johnson at the helm.

He defiantly vowed to not go down without a fight, the conservatives too powerful to a stand after a series of damaging scandals. Johnson reluctantly announced he would be stepping down without actually saying the words out loud, calling the decision painful. He will stay on his caretaker prime minister while the party works on appointing a successor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary conservative party that there should be a new leader of that party, and therefore, a new prime minister. And I've agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, Boris Johnson's possible replacements include some of his former top ministers, whose resignation set off the fatal wave of defections.

Another likely contender, former top ally Michael Gove -- say they'll reveal a timetable for leadership election by Monday. It will not be a

general election.

With us now from London is journalist Martha Gill, who writes extensively on British politics.

Good to have you with us.

I do want to get some context from you on the big question of why now. Because so many scandals, others arguably much worse than the one that led to his downfall, have occurred in the past few months, in the past few years. And you wrote in "The New York Times" that he's a man whose bluster and foolishness seem to transcend every rule of political practice. So what was different this time?

MARTHA GILL, JOURNALIST: Yes, I mean, he's had so many near career- ending moments, so many moments at which particularly this year, it's been predicted he is about to go. I mean, you could say that this was just the final straw. There is a

scandal that came to light, where he'd appointed a man called Chris Pincher, who he had known there were serious sexual harassment allegations against, for a position overseeing party discipline and welfare.

Now, that is obviously a bad scandal, and you might expect logically that to be the moment that his MPs turn on him, but it is hardly the worst thing he has done. He broke the law. He was fined for breaking his own COVID rules. He presided over a culture of rule breaking in his top team, something which was officially found. The list goes on. Now what was interesting about this moment was that he did something very unusual. He broke with tradition and issued a sincere apology for his behavior, where previously, he had blustered on, denying that he had done anything wrong.

Moments later, two big resignations, which then caused a domino effect throughout the party, happened. And that struck me, because it reminded me of an earlier point where he had almost apologized in January for breaking COVID rules. Live on air, an interviewer had cornered him into a real expression of regret.

And immediately after that, members of his team started talking about submitting vote -- letters of no confidence in him. Everyone predicted his downfall. And he only recovered and stopped all the rumors and talk about these being his last days when he recovered his usual bluster the next day and acted as though he'd done nothing wrong. And --

KINKADE: I want to ask, Martha, about his bluster. Because he said in his resignation speech that he tried to convince the party, but his -- his ability to convince them failed. Let's just take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: And in the last few days, I've tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to switch governments when we're delivering so much, and when we have such a vast mandate, and when we're actually only a handful of points behind in the polls. I regret not to have been successful in those arguments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Martha, he made it sound like it wasn't his scandals that brought him down but rather, the fact he couldn't convince his party that he was the right person.

Still, even now, it seems like he doesn't take any responsibility for what has transpired.

GILL: No, he doesn't. And that is very characteristic of Boris Johnson. And as we were just saying perhaps it is the secret to his success.

I mean, he's right in some senses, that there's no system for bringing down a prime minister who acts immorally and who -- who does the things that Johnson has done. He's right that it's the sort of system of herd behavior, and a Darwinian system, which is two other phrases he used in his speech. A rather kind of primitive one to bring him down.

And often, his MPs act in their own self-interest, watching to see what other MPs will do. They wouldn't want to move by themselves. They need to move the group to be more effective. And also trying to assess whether or not he will allow them to keep their seats in the next election.

And that is how it works. A much fairer system would have bought his tenure to an end much sooner.

KINKADE: Much, much sooner indeed. All right, Martha Gill, we'll leave it there for now. Much appreciate your time. Thanks very much.

Well, the war in Ukraine is fueling a famine thousands of miles away. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, our Clarissa Ward shows us how that impact is being felt.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:52:39[

KINKADE: Well, now let's get you up to date on our breaking news this hour. NHK reports former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has been rushed to hospital after being shot.

It happened as he was giving a speech in the city of Nara in western Japan.

The fire department report Abe was in the state of cardiorespiratory arrest. Police sources tell NHK that Abe was conscious and responsive while being transported after the shooting.

Russia's war is taking a devastating toll on the people of Ukraine, and now it's affecting people in Somalia, as well. Russia's blockade of Ukrainian wheat exports, combined with years of drought, is pushing Somalia towards a humanitarian catastrophe.

CNN's Clarissa Ward reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the edge of the Naim (ph) camp, just outside Somalia's capital, Zamzam Mohammed (ph) shows us the fresh graves of those who have died here.

ZAMZAM MOHAMMED (PH), SOMALIA RESIDENT: One, two, three.

WARD (voice-over): There are 30, she says, in total. Victims of this country's record drought. As the camp administrator, Mohammed (ph) is tasked with burying the dead.

"From that corner to this one," she says, "this line of graves is all children."

WARD: It must weigh on your heart to have to bury these little children.

WARD (voice-over): "You feel such sadness when you bury a baby," she tells us. "I'm a mother, and I can feel their pain as a parent."

Some 500 yards away, Norta Alahoumi (ph) has yet to visit the graves of her three children. Severely malnourished, they died after contracting measles.

"I cannot bear to go," she says. "The grief I would feel."

Aid agencies warn that Somalia is marching towards another famine. Nearly half the country is hungry. Some 800,000 people have been forced from their homes this year alone.

WARD: So two months ago, this camp didn't even exist. Now, there are more than 870 families living here.

WARD (voice-over): Conditions are dire, and the world's attention is elsewhere.

Thousands of miles from the front lines of the war in Ukraine, the impact of Russia's invasion is being felt here. Food and fuel prices have skyrocketed as Russia's blockade of Ukrainian wheat threatens global supplies.

[00:55:09]

MOHAMUD MOHAMED HASSAN, SAVE HE CHILDREN COUNTRY DIRECTOR: The wheat that is consumed in Somalia, 92 percent of it comes from Russia and Ukraine, when you put it together. So the price of wheat has doubled, in some areas, you know, 150 percent increase.

WARD: So you had climate change, COVID, but the war in Ukraine is really threatening to push Somalia over the edge?

HASSAN: Yes. Definitely yes. Yes.

WARD: And what about if the war continues in Ukraine? If that blockade remains in place? What impact will that have here?

HASSAN: I cannot imagine what will be the impact.

WARD (voice-over): The stabilization ward at the Banadeer (ph) Hospital offers a glimpse of what may be to come. There are no empty beds and many desperately sick children.

DR. HAFSA MOHAMED HASSAN (ph), PHYSICIAN: He's unconscious.

WARD (voice-over): Dr. Hafsa Mohamed Hassan (ph) works around the clock to keep her youngest patients alive.

WARD: How many years have you been working in this hospital?

MOHAMED HASSAN (ph): Eight years.

WARD: Eight years. Have you ever seen so many children being brought in with malnutrition?

MOHAMED HASSAN (ph): No this is the worst situation I've seen. The number of the cases are increasing day by day. The hospital is very (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with these cases.

WARD: Are you overwhelmed?

MOHAMED HASSAN (ph): Yes, overwhelmed. The situation is overwhelming.

WARD (voice-over): In one bed, we meet Hareda Abdi (ph), her four- year-old son Mohammed (ph).

"I already lost three children in this drought," she says softly.

WARD: So you came here to save your son? How do you cope with that kind of loss, to lose three children? How do you get through the day?

"I can't cope with the situation," she says. "I just pray my remaining children will survive."

It's a prayer shared by so many women here, one that the world has yet to hear.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: And that was CNN's Clarissa Ward, reporting there from Somalia.

I'm Lynda Kinkade at the CNN Center in Atlanta. My colleague, Michael Holmes, picks up our coverage in just a moment.

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