Residents of Buhodle in Togdheer region are celebrating access to the first clean tap water in town.
Water from two boreholes dug on the outskirts has been piped to nine water kiosks in the town.
The project was carried out by local NGO Somali Relief Agency supported by UNICEF. It took eight months to complete and bring water to the taps.
The area was previously dependent on harvested rain water and water pans. A barrel of water sold for 30,000 Somali shillings. The water was untreated and exposed locals to risks of water-borne diseases.
Water is available free of charge to IDP camps, schools and public market places. Commercial truckers pay 10,000 Somali shillings for a barrel.
“We used to experience water shortages and we could not afford to buy water, but that is not the case now as water is available 24 hours a day,” said Abdirahman Sheikh Khalif, an IDP in Soweto camp in Buhodle.
Pastoralists who used to trek long distances for water are also bringing their livestock to the local watering points in Buhodle.
