Struggling for Survival: Mogadishu’s Displaced Families Torn Between Sick Children and Daily Wages
An internally displaced family stands over the wreckage of their home/File Photo/Ergo
(ERGO) – Filthy conditions and scarce medical care are escalating disease risks among fragile displaced clans packed into Mogadishu camps. Illnesses like acute watery diarrhea and cholera run rampant.
Ahmed Siyad Bulle, a father of six residing in Danyar camp, Garasbaley, found himself homebound as his daughter lay bedridden with watery diarrhea. His spouse juggled care of the rest.
When Ahmed’s daughter, Asho Ahmed Siyad, fell gravely ill on 25 May, he faced a dire lack of nearby free healthcare. Private clinics were too costly.
After frantic inquiries, he learned from fellow camp residents about free treatment at Banadir hospital, where Asho was admitted on 27 May. A friend lent him $5 for transport. Ahmed remained by her side at the hospital for two more days.
Parents, just like Ahmed, are engulfed in constant worry as diarrhea spreads among their children in these camps.
“None of us can work since this outbreak struck. We stay home to care for the kids. Women, usually laundering clothes, and men, working construction, have paused jobs. Children need quick access to health centers. It’s impacted our survival,” he stated.
Transportation costs to free hospitals weigh heavily on these impoverished families.
Ahmed pointed out dire sanitation and little awareness exacerbating disease risks in the camp.
“No toilets here. Kids go in the open while older folks use nearby houses. We had one toilet, but winds wrecked it,” he noted.
By day, Ahmed sells peanuts in Mogadishu, earning about $2 daily. He resumed work after his daughter’s recovery.
Ahmed also worried that poor diet and low immunity made his children prone to malnutrition and other illnesses.
In March, clan conflict drove Ahmed and his kin from Iji, near Mahaday, Hiran-Middle Shabelle border. Their home and farm were burned down.
Dr. Ahmed Said, with other Dawo hospital medics, launched a campaign diagnosing and raising awareness on communicable diseases among IDPs in Mogadishu, pooling $670 for the effort.
He encountered families keeping sick children home due to lack of accessible or affordable treatment.
Dr. Ahmed’s team tested 500 kids in Danyar and Danyar 2 camps, mainly hosting families from Middle and Lower Shabelle and Bay regions. Results showed 110 cases of acute watery diarrhea or cholera.
He blamed the high incidence on toilet scarcity and unclean water in these camps. Human waste was strewn about, and residents drank from sun-exposed plastic containers.
“This disease spreads through contaminated food or water or contact with infected human waste. Symptoms include continuous diarrhea, sometimes vomiting,” Dr. Ahmed detailed.
He emphasized the need for proper hygiene and sanitation to curb the disease, sharing DIY tips for an oral rehydration solution.
“Mix one litre of clean water with five spoons sugar, half spoon salt—that’s ORS,” he advised on radio.
Camp leaders aim to spread awareness despite the harsh camp conditions and lack of health access.
Danyar 2’s leader in Deynile, Abas Mohamud Gabow, highlighted the absence of health services. Four children died from watery diarrhea-induced dehydration in May alone.
He reported similar issues across other Deynile and Kahda camps, although some do have toilets.
“This camp lacks potable water. Taps were cut off because we couldn’t pay. Now, residents fetch water from far away. I’ve urged IDPs to boil water before drinking and keep waste distant from homes,” Gabow noted.
