(ERGO) – Violent clan conflict ongoing in the southern Somali district of Qoryoley in Lower Shabelle region has ruined the livelihoods of dozens of local families who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in camps in the capital Mogadishu.
Abdikarim Filfil Ahmed and his wife and six children sought refuge in Muarad camp in Kahda district of Mogadishu. To protect his children from the dangers of conflict, Abdikarim embarked on the tiring two-day journey, abandoning their home and the life they knew in Qoryoley.
They relied on their 50 livestock including cattle and goats but had to abandon all their animals as they fled for their lives.
The sudden displacement has plunged Abdikarim’s family into severe hardship. They had already been struggling with the effects of prolonged drought and the conflict compounded the effects of the climate crisis to devastate their livelihood.
They are among 50 families, both farmers and pastoralists, that have arrived in the camp since last November.
Abdikarin said his family’s survival depended now on irregular food donations from neighbours. They are lucky to get two meals a day.
“Our living conditions are extremely dire. We lack water, food, and face illnesses. Personally, I have been unwell for years, and I’ve been experiencing weakness and sometimes fainting for two to three hours. Some of my children and relatives are also sick,” said Abdikarim.
Four of his children, who previously attended a Koranic school, were out of school in the camp.
Water access is also a struggle for the family. Abdikarim stated that they purchase a single jerry can of water daily from a privately-owned well within the camp for 10,000 Somali shillings. It’s insufficient for his family’s needs, so they have no choice but to use it sparingly.
Abdikarim expressed little hope of returning to his home, citing ongoing clan conflict that had intensified since their departure.
Among the displaced from Qoryoley seeking refuge in camps around Mogadishu are any many children, women, and elderly individuals like Halimo Abukar Sheikh.
Unable to work, Halimo depends on small amounts of food her two grandchildren, aged six and 10, collected from neighbours. The family often cooks only one meal a day, and when food is unavailable, they sleep hungry.
“We arrived in the city on foot, without transportation, and passed through various places to reach here. We fled Qoryoley due to the conflict. The hardship we encountered on the way is still with us. Our farm was destroyed, and we have no food, no shelter, no water, no latrines, and no proper place to sleep,” Halimo told Radio Ergo.
She and her family live in a small makeshift shelter that offers no protection from the cold nights or scorching daytime heat. She is concerned about her grandchildren’s education, as they were attending a Koranic school at home.
“The uncertainty here is worse than the conditions we left behind. We still face hardships in the camp, with no significant positive changes in this camp,” Halimo said.
Halimo owned a three-hectare farm that generated $100 from crops such as sesame, maize, beans, and tomatoes. Drought had already destroyed all their recent crops, leaving her family destitute. The conflict was the final straw forcing them to flee.
Also among the displaced families is Fadumo Ahmed Idow’s family of 12. They live in Muarad camp in a fragile shack that cannot protect them from the cold or heat.
“We don’t have proper bedding or clothing for the children. We sleep on torn sacks, and illnesses like diarrhoea and malnutrition are common. We are appealing for urgent assistance,” Fadumo said.
She explained that she fetches two jerry cans of water daily from a distant source, often insufficient for her family’s needs. At times, she can’t get any water and returns empty-handed. Fadumo fears that hunger and poor living conditions could claim her children’s lives.
Fadumo noted that five of her children, who previously attended school, are now at home.
They own a two-hectare farm in Qoryoley, and recently tried to return there to cultivate some crops. However, they had to flee again due to renewed clan conflict in the area.
Fadumo now worries about their future and the lack of any apparent solution to their plight.
