Dry wells leave Sool residents without access to water

Wednesday April 1, 2026

Yasin Ahmed (left) inspects the dried-up wells /Asia Yusuf/Ergo

Residents of Taleh in Somalia’s northern Sool region are running out of choices after two shallow wells that once served the area went dry, forcing families to depend on costly water deliveries brought in by truck from elsewhere.

For many low-income households, the price is simply out of reach. At the same time, food stocks are dwindling and debts are piling up.

Yasin Ahmed Isse’s family of 10 now survives by asking neighbours for small amounts of water, though even that support is not always available.

“My family is in a very dangerous situation,” he told Radio Ergo. “The biggest problem we face is lack of water. I fear my children could die of thirst. We have nothing to cook or drink.”

Water is being sold at $12 to $15 a barrel.

Yasin, who works as a casual construction labourer, has had no job for four months as building activity in Taleh has slowed amid the prolonged drought and deepening economic strain.

Each morning he sets off in search of work, but most days he comes back empty-handed. With no reliable income, his family relies on neighbours for occasional meals and on shopkeepers willing to extend credit for food.

“Hunger has affected us badly. Sometimes neighbours cook for us once a day, or we borrow a kilo of rice. Other times we go without food,” he said.

In February, the family was forced from their home after going four months without paying the $40 rent. They now sleep outside, without proper shelter.

“The children sleep outside. I have daughters and I worry about their safety at night,” Yasin said.

Six of his children have left school because he could not pay the $60 monthly fees. The family’s debts have climbed to about $1,580, and local shopkeepers have stopped giving him credit.

Other families in Taleh are living under similar pressure. Laki Saleban Abdi, a pregnant mother of nine, said her household has struggled to find water since the nearby well they depended on dried up earlier this year.

“We have no water – neither fresh nor salty. We are extremely thirsty and cannot afford to buy water,” she told Radio Ergo.

Her husband has not earned any income for six months, leaving the family dependent on small and irregular help from relatives. Most days, they eat only one meal.

“Sometimes we cook once a day, usually at midday, and it is not enough,” she said. “We have no livestock, no farm, and no business.”

Two of her young children recently developed fever and vomiting, but she has no money for treatment. With her delivery approaching, she is also unable to reach maternal health services.

“I don’t have money to check my health or the baby’s,” she said. “Some nights I can’t sleep because of the pain.”

Two of her children have also dropped out of Koranic school because fees remain unpaid. The household now owes about $600 for food purchased on credit.

Ahmed Abdullahi Abdi, the district commissioner of Taleh, said the wells that dried up had supplied both town residents and pastoralist families living in surrounding rural areas.

“The only available water is very expensive, and many families cannot afford it,” he said. “Only those with some means can buy it. Poor families are left without access.”

He said years of poor rainfall had depleted water sources and put added strain on what remained. The local administration has provided some water trucking and food aid, he said, but the help has fallen far short of what is needed.

“The support we provided is very small compared to the number of people affected,” he said. “Many families are still struggling.”

He urged regional authorities and humanitarian organisations to step in quickly, warning that conditions could deteriorate further.