(ERGO) – Hundreds of families from villages in southern Somalia’s Bakool region have been forced to abandon their homes and farms due to severe drought and crop failure. Many are now living in desperate conditions in camps near the town of Hudur.
Among them is Hassan Abdinor Ali, 60, who recently moved his family to Mora-Shinle camp after losing his crops to drought, marking his first displacement in 45 years of farming.
Hassan is worried about providing for his wife and 13 children, whom he brought to the camp on the outskirts of Hudur on 15 December 2024. They are among hundreds of families hit by drought that have moved to camps near the town since late November 2024.
Without food or proper shelter in the camp, Hassan goes to the town every morning to beg, typically managing to collect about two dollars a day.
“Our daily life is very difficult. I go to the town and ask for help, saying my children need assistance, I’m a displaced person living in the camp. If you can share something to help me cook for my children, please do…that’s how we get by,” Hassan told Radio Ergo.
He had planted maize, sorghum, beans, and sesame on his five-hectare farm in August 2024 but poor rainfall during the Deyr season in his village of Abag-Beday led to crop failure.
Unable to sustain his family, he moved them to Hudur, a town that has been under Al-Shabaab siege for over a decade. The journey took three days on foot, during which Hassan hoped to find a better life.
“Back in our village, my children were in school, but now they are not. Education is impossible for children who are hungry. You can’t tell a hungry child to go and study,” Hassan lamented.
Their education, which used to cost $20 per month, is now unaffordable. Hassan is more concerned about finding food for a single meal than school. The uncertainty surrounding his family’s future leaves him in constant anxiety.
He had endured many previous cycles drought, but finally lost hope of recovering his farm and being able to maintain his livelihood.
Another farmer, Mohamed Ali Said, 35, who arrived at Mora-Shinle camp on 20 December with his family of seven, said he had expected to get aid but they are instead short of food. They are relying on a single cooked meal provided by more fortunate neighbours in the camp. Unfamiliar with the town and without resources, Mohamed’s family is struggling to adapt.
“Before, I had no worries. I used to harvest beans and maize from my farm, but now I have nothing to harvest. Life is very hard,” Mohamed said.
He lost mainly sorghum, maize, and beans on his four-hectare farm in Sarmaan village. His farm lacked any irrigation system and relied entirely on rainfall, which was inadequate.
Since arriving near Hudur, Mohamed has been unable to provide basic necessities for his family. Two of his children have fallen ill and he lacks the means to seek medical care for them.
He told Radio Ergo that he is disheartened and has made futile attempts to find work in Hudur, where goods can only enter through smuggling routes.
Another farmer, Mursal Hassan Adow, who came to Mora-Hagar camp from Tugerka village, said he has received no aid since reaching the camp and relies on the kindness of neighbours for a single daily meal.
His seven-hectare farm in Tugerka produced no yield in the past two seasons, though he had hoped for better results this year.
Mursal lost crops such as sorghum, maize, and beans and now owes $200 for the seeds he bought. He is struggling to care for his five children and wife, worried about the stark contrast between their current hardships and their previous farming lifestyle.
This year, climate change and erratic weather patterns have driven farmers in the region to despair. Many displaced families from villages like Abag-Beday, Biyoley, Tugerka, and Sarmaan have arrived in Hudur camps in search of survival.
