(ERGO) – Residents of Rako-raho, a pastoral community in northern Somalia’s Bari region, have been returning home with their livestock in the wake of an environmental crisis that had forced them to flee the land.
Deep gullies caused by erosion, destroying much of the land surface and threatening the safety of families and their herds, opened up in the first few months of 2024.
Around 5,000 families were forced to migrate away during the course of the year, as the gullies severed roads, disrupted water sources, and made access to the well-known grazing lands extremely perilous for people and their animals.
Salad Nuur Adan returned home to Rako-raho in October, when his local community undertook an initiative to repair the damage and open up the area again for grazing and safe living.
In May, 10 of his 20 goats fell into land cracks. Some of the animals died and others were injured. With the remaining animals unable to find safe grazing, Salad moved his family to the outskirts of Iskushuban, more than 100 kilometres away.
Work has been done to repair the land and make Rako-raho safe again, meaning that those forced into displacement could return.
“People are relieved because livestock injuries have stopped and the land has been stabilised where the gullies have been repaired. It’s safer now for people and animals. The water that used to gush along the gullies has been but that has been resolved. This has brought tremendous benefits that were unimaginable,” Salad explained.
It was not the first time that such gullies appeared due to soil erosion, although this year was especially pronounced due to the climatic extremes experienced.
“The difficulties stemmed from the lack of vegetation, which made it hard for livestock to graze on unstable land during the rainy season. Vehicles also faced challenges navigating the roads and often had to take detours, which caused further gullies to appear. Now, with the repairs, the problems with the roads and grazing lands have significantly eased,” he said.
Salad relies on his livestock to sustain his family of six children. Whilst displaced from home, he was doing odd labour jobs making just $2 to $4 a time.
He is working now to settle the debts of $400 to local stores for food he took on credit. He also has $90 in unpaid school fees, resulting in his three children being sent home. He hopes they can get back to their education soon.
Another Rako-raho resident, Dahir Muse Said, left the area in May with his family of 11 but returned in October after repairs to the damaged land were well underway.
Hundreds of people, including men, women, and elders, contributed their labour and resources to fill the gullies that were becoming increasingly hazardous.
“This work has been entirely community driven. We collected fuel, used our vehicles, and worked together with everyone, from elders to women. We tackled what we could. If we receive external assistance now, we’ll continue cooperating. Whether it’s done by organisations or through self-reliance, the relief brought by these efforts is undeniable,” Dahir explained.
Dahir, 65, said he was glad to return home, as his large family had been staying with strangers in Iskushuban, where they were given a small room to sleep in.
He lost 13 of his goats when they fell into open gullies whilst out grazing in Rako-raho in April. He now has just 22 goats left, having lost others during the extreme drought in 2021.
His younger brother, who herded camels, fell into a hole in May and broke his leg. The family had to transport him on a camel during their migration to a safer area. After six months of treatment, he still struggles to walk or manage livestock.
Dahir is now working in local stores, unloading and transporting goods making about $3 a day. Although the income is little, he says it is preferable to the hardship they faced in Iskushuban.
The deputy governor of Rako-Raho, Jama Mohamud Nuur, said the environmental disaster caused some 110 gullies to emerge spanning over an 80-kilometre radius. Access to water and grazing resources was severely hampered.
Eleven of the dangerous gullies have now been filled and work is ongoing.
“Self-reliance drove us to take action. This is a pastoral area, and livestock depend on the grazing lands. Since the holes started forming on the land, and with no assistance from other organisations, we decided to do what we could. We are hopeful that with continued efforts we’ll fill the remaining gullies,” Jama told Radio Ergo.
The deputy governor called on the Puntland authorities and humanitarian organisations to support the community action so they could address the remaining areas.
