Airstrikes destroy livelihoods in a Lower Shabelle farming village

Saturday April 18, 2026

Adan Gedi Mohamed sits in a neighbour’s compound after his own house was destroyed in airstrikes/Muna Hussein/Ergo

A wave of airstrikes on a farming community in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region has driven hundreds of families from their homes, stripping many of food, water, shelter, and any dependable way to make a living.

Since late March, the attacks have flattened houses, farms, and small businesses in Bulo-Khalif, a village where residents relied on the land to survive. Some families have made their way to nearby districts such as Barawe and Afgooye, while others remain in the village, trapped by fear and worsening deprivation with no assistance in sight.

Among those hit hardest is Aden Gedi Mohamed, whose family of seven was pushed into poverty overnight.

The airstrikes destroyed his two-room house, a vehicle that brought him $300 to $400 a month, his water storage facilities, his four-hectare farm where he grew maize and vegetables, and the savings he had put aside in cash.

His family can no longer meet even the most basic daily needs.

“We used to cook twice a day. Now even getting one meal is difficult. If we manage once, we are grateful,” he said.

“The bombing burned our house, our food, and my vehicle. Even the little money I had was lost. We survived by sleeping outside that night. No one was injured, but we lost everything.”

With nothing left to rely on, the family now depends on occasional help from neighbours, though that support is uncertain because most people in the area are also under pressure from insecurity and economic hardship.

Even with the threat of renewed strikes hanging over him, Aden says leaving is not an option.

“I don’t feel safe staying here, but I have no money to leave and no place to go where life would be better,” he said.

Water has become one of the family’s most urgent problems, and they must ask neighbours each day for 20 litres.

The crisis has also interrupted the education of Aden’s four children. They had been attending a Koranic school, but their teacher fled the village because of the fighting.

Bulo-Khalif remains a disputed area between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab, leaving civilians caught in the middle of an armed standoff. Residents say they do not know who carried out the airstrikes, and official information has been scarce.

The village was already reeling from drought, which cut crop production and reduced livestock output, deepening the vulnerability of households before the strikes began.

Some residents sought refuge in displacement camps. One of them is Mohamed Hajji Ahmed, who arrived with his family at Gegsow displacement camp on the outskirts of Barawe in late March.

His nine children are now facing severe hardship in the camp, where there is little access to water, healthcare, or education.

“We only escaped with our lives. Here, we have no relatives and no support. The children sleep hungry most nights,” he said.

Mohamed and his wife get by by asking for cooked food, but it is never enough. Water remains one of their biggest struggles.

“We cannot afford to buy water. Sometimes we fetch from wells, but even that depends on help from others. A small jerry can costs $0.25, and we don’t have that,” he added.

Before fleeing, Mohamed had already lost 40 goats to drought and was unable to cultivate his eight-hectare farm because the rain never came. To keep his family going, he borrowed money from local traders and now owes about $200.

“I borrowed money to feed my children in the last two months before we left. Now I am displaced and cannot pay it back. That debt is a heavy burden on me,” he said.

He also lost his house in the airstrikes and says he has no idea when it will be safe to return.

Ibrahim Osman, chairman of Gegsow camp, said more than 50 families had arrived in recent weeks, many of them after walking 110 to 120 kilometres. He said many were in poor condition and included vulnerable people such as women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

“They fled heavy bombardment they had never experienced before. Some walked long distances because they had no transport. Their situation is very bad,” the camp chairman told Radio Ergo.

The new arrivals have joined more than 450 families already living in the camp, most of whom were displaced by insecurity across Lower Shabelle.

Ibrahim said local authorities and aid agencies had not yet assisted the newly displaced families, leaving camp leaders with little ability to respond.

“If they do not receive help soon, their situation will deteriorate,” he warned.

No official figures are available on how many families have been displaced from Bulo-Khalif since March.