(ERGO) – The authorities in Luq, in southern Somalia’s Gedo region, say that 18,000 farming families are facing a shortage of food following the devastation caused by river floods towards the end of last year.
The local authority and Luq farmers’ association conducted a joint assessment in February, finding that 3,000 of the affected families have already moved into internal displacement camps because they can’t support themselves.
The farmers’ association chairman, Mohamed Kassim, said the unexpected flooding of the river Juba last November washed away farmers’ crops, equipment, and property and they are unable to recover and return to farming without support.
“The losses that have been suffered are huge. The only way to recover from the floods is to get enough funds. We need farm workers to get opportunities to work and farm owners to get pumps and the investment they need. There are hardships on many of the farms in this area,” he said.
Mohamed Abdi Yusuf, 36, and his wife and four children moved to Wadajir IDP camp three months ago, after their two-room house and farm were destroyed in the floods. He said he cannot return as he hasn’t been able to pay off the loans he took to plant his 12-hectare farm when the rainfall began late last September.
“I have taken $6,500 in loans and I’ve not got anything from my farm. Now we are concerned about how my children and the family will get meals, we used to eat three meals but now we’re not even eating once a day. I’m very concerned about my family. I’ve taken a break from the farm,” he said.
Mohamed’s family used to live off their production of vegetables, maize and sorghum. Now, they are living in a flimsy shack that hardly offers any protection from the weather. Three of his children also had to drop out of school because he couldn’t pay the fees.
“My children are still at home. They need fees, and we can’t afford it. We used to earn income from the farm and it was enough to pay for their needs and education. We don’t have any income now,” he said.
Businessmen are chasing him to repay the money he borrowed. With no other income and no access to further loans, it’s impossible for him to raise the substantial amount he needs to revive the family’s farm.
“Our water pump that we used to irrigate the farm was washed away. We now need another pump, as well as pipes and investment. Farming is not that easy!” he declared.
Some farmers in Luq district have shifted their focus to finding odd jobs to make ends meet.
Abdiwahid Oogle, 40, has taken up construction jobs after his 5-hectare farm was submerged in the river floods in November. He gets called up twice a week to a construction site, where he makes $5 a day. He told Radio Ergo’s local reporter his family gets one meal in a day.
“The situation forced me to take up a job since my family depends on me. You can’t sit around, you must work and do something, you know? I have to find ways to earn a living because otherwise there is nothing we are getting from the farm. I work hard, and I don’t have anything else to rely on,” he said.
Now living in an IDP camp as well, Abdiwahid hopes to resume farming but needs support to do so.
“If we got help I would resume farming,” he stated. “We need seeds and equipment to cultivate the land, and fuel prices have really become expensive.”
The floods and loss of produce have affected trade, with small market sellers having little to offer their customers. The scarcity of fresh produce has led to a doubling of food prices that is affecting the entire community.
