Diabetes Takes Heavy Toll on Families in North Western State of Somalia

Thursday June 4, 2026

Ismail Jama Ali by the shack where he and his family now live after diabetes forced him out of work and their rented home/Sabah Mohamed/Ergo

A sudden collapse changed Ismail Jama Ali’s life in an instant — and with it, the future of the family of 12 he had been trying to hold together. Since being diagnosed with diabetes in February, he has been unable to work, leaving his household in Gabiley scrambling for food, rent and school fees.

The illness was first uncovered after he fainted in shock following the death of a nephew. He was taken to Gabiley hospital in North Western State of Somalia, where doctors identified diabetes as the cause of symptoms he later realised had been troubling him for months.

“At first I thought it was a kidney problem. I was always thirsty and urinating frequently. For six months I didn’t know it was diabetes. I felt tired all the time and could barely walk without resting. After my nephew died, I fainted from the shock and that’s when the hospital found out what was wrong,” Ismail told Radio Ergo.

Before he fell sick, Ismail earned a living through tailoring in Gabiley. The business paid for the family’s food, rent, water and the children’s schooling. But as his condition worsened, he became too weak to continue working, and the shop shut down, cutting off the household’s only income.

His wife gave birth in early May, adding another burden to a family already under severe strain while he remained unable to provide.

“Three meals a day became impossible after I got sick. The disease weakened me and hunger made it worse. Sometimes neighbours help us, but we are in a very difficult situation,” he said.

The financial pressure has now reached the children’s classrooms. Three of Ismail’s children left school at the end of March after he failed to pay two months’ fees totaling $45. One was in grade three, another in grade five, and the eldest was in the second year of secondary school.

Ismail said he also owes about $1,200 that he borrowed for household costs and medical expenses.

“People keep asking for their money. I tell them I have nothing. Some became angry with me. The closure of my business and my illness destroyed our finances. The children also lost their education because I could no longer afford the fees,” he said.

Unable to keep up with rent, the family was evicted from their home in Gabiley. Relatives have since taken them in, and they are now living in two rooms in Hargeisa.

Health workers say Ismail’s story is far from unique. In Gabiley, they say, diabetes is upending the lives of dozens of families, often targeting the very people who shoulder the responsibility of keeping households afloat.

Dr Bilan Ahmed Ismail, who works in the diabetes unit at Gabiley General Hospital, said the rise in cases is being driven by lifestyle changes, poor awareness and late diagnosis.

“Diabetes is having a major impact in Gabiley. We have received 76 people with diabetes during the last five months and the numbers continue to rise. Managing diabetes requires more than medicine. Patients need dietary changes, exercise, regular monitoring, and long-term commitment,” she said.

Dr Bilan said many patients arrive at the hospital only after living with the disease for years without knowing it. Others delay treatment and turn to traditional remedies instead of seeking medical care. She said the illness can damage people physically, financially and mentally, often leaving patients and their families under intense stress, anxiety and depression.

Another patient, Saad Abdi Yusuf, 35, said diabetes has left him blind and unable to continue the construction work that once supported him and his younger siblings. He had lived with symptoms for years before understanding they were linked to the disease.

“I used to suffer from dizziness, thirst, and frequent urination. I also kept getting infections. My eyesight gradually became weaker until I could barely see anything. When I finally went to hospital, doctors told me the diabetes had been in my body for more than nine years,” he said.

Saad once earned about $7 a day on building sites in Gabiley, using that income to support three younger siblings after their parents died. But now unable to work or pay rent, he has spent the past five months living inside Gabiley hospital, where staff have allowed him to stay while he receives treatment.

“My brothers are now living with our aunt because I cannot support them anymore. Sometimes my condition becomes serious and I am moved to the emergency ward. When I recover a little, they return me to my room. This disease has taken away the future I hoped for,” he said.

Health workers warn that chronic non-communicable illnesses such as diabetes are pushing vulnerable families deeper into poverty. Many patients cannot afford the right diet, transportation or medication, while others lose their ability to work altogether.