Prices of food items have risen sharply in Gedo’s Burdhubo and Garbaharey districts, as Al-Shabaab continues to blockade the roads leading to the area.
Somali government and AMISOM forces captured the districts from Al-Shabaab last month. But trucks have stopped transporting goods to the two districts because of threats by Al-Shabaab that they will be targeted if they use the roads.
The districts rely on foods transported from Mogadishu. “No foods and goods were transported to our district in the past four weeks,” said Fadumo Aden Ali, a resident of Garbaharey town.
The blockage has affected the price of food items including rice, wheat flour, sugar, spaghetti, which are the most consumed commodities in the districts, she added.
Locals report that a 50 kg sack of sugar, rice or wheat flour are currently selling for 1,200,000 Somali shillings, whereas previously sugar was 700,000, rice 680,000 and flour 800,000.
Burdhubo elders said those affected by the price rises are the recently displaced people in Gedo region. they warned that famine could hit the region if the price of basic commodities continues to soar.
