Pastoralists in Gedo say camels in parts of the region are being struck by a disease that has not been identified. The affected areas are Geriley, Fafahdun, Elwak and several settlements near Afmadow in Lower Juba region.
Abdullahi Ali, a resident of Fafahdun, 84 km from Bardere, said camels had been struck by a disease that had not been properly diagnosed.
“This disease is not anthrax, as some people thought. It has been affecting only camels for the last three years and has been breaking out during dry seasons when water is scarce. It results in sudden death of affected camels making pastoralists call it ‘Qarax’ (the blast) due to its deadly impact. No research has been done on it so far,” said Abdullahi.
A trader in Luq livestock market Mohamed Mohamud said only very weak animals were brought for sale and few camel traders were now coming to the market. A trader in Bardere Mohamed Ahmed said there was a general decline in livestock prices this year in the region.
“The price of a fully grown adult camel dropped from 30m to 22m Somali shillings. The prices of cattle, donkeys and goats have also dropped by close to 40%,” he said. As well as drought and animal disease, people’s livelihoods are being affected by recent conflict that has made roads from Bay and Hiran regions impassable.
