(ERGO) – An acute water shortage in a village in central Somalia’s Mudug region is affecting more than 1,000 families, some of whom have left their homes in search of water.
Hirsi Omar Hassan, the chief of Tulo-Barwaqo, said the borehole pump broke down two weeks ago and could not be repaired. They tried to raise money locally but the price for a new pump was out of reach at $40,000.
Hirsi said the villagers survive, mostly pastoralists, had the option of buying water trucked in from Galdogob town, 34 km away, or moving away.
“When the pump was in operation we had water free of charge but people have been forced to contribute money to pay for the tanker. Water is very scarce,” the chief said.
The village borehole normally supplies several other villages in the area as well. Water is selling at $7 for 200 litres.
Farhiya Ahmed Mohamud, who is seven months pregnant, walked all day and night with her 10 children to reach Hero-Jalle village, the nearest source of free water.
“Life in our village was miserable. You could hardly get water to drink, let alone washing and bathing. Although water is supplied by tankers you have to pay cash, they won’t give credit. I had no cash so I decided to move,” said Farhiya.
Only 10 of her family’s herd of 200 animals survived the 2016-17 drought. She said about 80 families had made the same move to find water but they were not running short of food.
“Though we get adequate water, life is hard. For the last six days, I have been surviving on the little food I had with me but it is about to get finished and all the other families are the same,” she told Radio Ergo.
Abdi Jama’a Yussuf is still in Tulo-Barwaqo with his nine-member family but is preparing to move.
“I have just $75 which I saved from the Care International cash distribution I had for six months. The cash programme stopped in May,” he said. “I know if I spend the little money I have I will not get water from the tankers on credit so I have to move with the livestock and the children,” said Abdi, who has 150 goats and two bull camels he uses for transport.
Galdogob district secretary, Bashir Mahamud Mohamed, told Radio Ergo that the authorities were aware of the situation and had met technical officers from Puntland State Agency for Water Energy and Natural Resources and the interior ministry to seek a solution.
