Reduction in aid leaves families in Galgadud camp, affected by conflict, struggling with food shortages.
IDP families in need of assistance/File photo/Ergo
(ERGO) – Nasteho Mohamud Hashi, a determined single mother, has been facing a formidable challenge. The assistance she once received from the World Food Programme came to a halt in June, leaving her in a tight spot as she tries to feed her nine children.
The $85 monthly support from WFP was a lifeline for Nasteho’s family at the Hilac IDP camp in Dusamareb, located in Somalia’s Galmudug state. Their circumstances changed drastically when conflict forced them to flee their home, stripping them of their means of livelihood.
To keep food on the table, Nasteho found herself gathering firewood from the outskirts of Dusamareb. These thrice-weekly treks are grueling and risky, yet they only fetch $2 to $3 each time—barely enough to cover her family’s basic needs.
“Food is scarce,” she shared with Radio Ergo. “My children eat in the morning before I venture to the forest. The walk is long, and the firewood is now further away. It’s dangerous there, so I go with others. Being left alone makes me worry for my safety.”
When sales fall short, Nasteho relies on credit from a local eatery, amassing a debt of $200. The pressure to repay is mounting.
“They sometimes threaten to take the firewood instead of money, which is disheartening. I’ve postponed payments three times, and this month is the final cutoff,” she lamented.
The family reached the Hilac camp in 2023 fleeing clan battles in Hananbure, Galgadud, leaving behind 45 goats and their two-room home. Once, Nasteho earned $5-6 daily by butchering livestock, but now she is the family’s sole support following her husband’s departure.
The family’s current makeshift abode of sticks and plastic offers scant protection.
“It’s a fragile, cramped hut. Repairs are constant but running out of materials. The heat is stifling, and the roof leaks when it rains. Shielding my children and myself from the elements is nearly impossible,” she explained.
Ayni Hussein Abdullahi, also a single mother with seven mouths to feed, faces a similar plight at the Hilac camp. Her $110 monthly support has ceased, leaving her struggling after half a year of relative food security.
“Now and then, we go without food. Gone are the days of three meals; one meal is often a blessing. We no longer have the comfort of enough,” Ayni remarked.
To make ends meet, Ayni launders clothes but earns a mere $2-3 per job. Many days she returns from fruitless job hunts empty-handed, resorting to credit for food and accruing debt she cannot repay.
While seeking work, Ayni’s children are left hungry and alone.
“We lean on neighbors for food, and that sustains us. Still, my children, left behind, sometimes find nothing to eat. When I do work, I try to pay back, but neighbors often cut off their help until debts are settled. Some days, my children miss breakfast and go to bed hungry. We just gamble and hope tomorrow brings something better,” she disclosed.
Ayni’s family had to leave Farlibah in the Hiran region in January due to clashes between Al-Shabaab and government forces. Their swift departure meant leaving behind a 3-hectare farm, their former livelihood.
Of the 270 families residing in the Hilac camp, 200 relied on aid. Many have fled conflict and drought, unable to return home due to continued insecurity. Without external support, improving their lives seems out of reach.
Hilac camp chairman, Hassan Salad Gelle, conveyed the deteriorating conditions since aid ceased, with families sharing every meager resource to get by.
“Organizations like WFP claim their funds are drying up under the pressure of helping so many displaced individuals. They assured us two months ago aid would resume, but we’ve heard nothing further,” Hassan revealed to Radio Ergo.
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
