(ERGO) – Halima Hassan Ali, alongside her husband, faces the Herculean task of securing even a single meal a day for their three kids. They’re among countless families displaced by relentless skirmishes in the Lower and Middle Shabelle regions.
On August 20, Halima, who’s 39, and her family found refuge in Gurbaan camp located in Mogadishu’s Kahda district, hoping to escape the chaos. Sadly, they now confront a reality devoid of nourishment and proper shelter.
“We’re absolutely destitute! Neighbors have been feeding us the past two days,” Halima shared. “We came with nothing; no clothes, no belongings. When it rains, we’re drenched; when the sun shines, we roast.”
Her husband resorts to scavenging for odd jobs like digging waste pits. Despite an increasing number of garbage trucks taking over such roles, he faces stiff competition from other men, rendering the pay meager. Halima painted a grim picture: “Sometimes he only brings home a dollar. It’s not enough. If we dine at night, we forgo breakfast. We manage on a tiny portion of rice or dried maize for dinner. Starvation gnaws at us along with countless other hardships,” she recounted to Radio Ergo’s local journalist.
Originally hailing from the Yaaq Bari-weyne area in Lower Shabelle, Halima and her family abandoned their five-hectare farm — primed for a September harvest of maize, beans, and sesame — in a desperate bid to escape the conflict. Other families who fled with them covered their transport costs.
Similarly, Ibrahim Osman Ali, a 52-year-old father of four, reached the Harawe camp in Kahda district on August 19. “One cannot exist amidst the crossfire. We fled in fear for our kids. We’re new in the city with nothing — no food, no water, no latrines,” he exclaimed in frustration.
Ibrahim detailed his arduous walk from their village to Afgooye, where they begged for rides to Mogadishu. Unable to tend to his two-hectare farm due to the turmoil, he previously supported his family by earning roughly $5 a day pushing a handcart in Wanlaweyn.
In another dire scenario, Qadro Abdi Ali, a 36-year-old widow, arrived at Bursalid camp in Garasbaley district with her three children at the beginning of August, yet to receive any assistance.
As her family’s sole breadwinner, Qadro is now forced to search for unfamiliar and often unattainable jobs in the city. “We’re trying, but jobs are scarce. We wander, washing clothes here and there, but it’s not sustainable. There’s no steady income. I’m consumed by worry. Back home, our harvest sustained us. The conflict uprooted us,” she told Radio Ergo.
Qadro’s family, once dependent on their farm, now fights daily just to secure a meal. Escaping Jamee’o village near Hawadley in Middle Shabelle due to clashes between government forces and Al-Shabaab, they’re left grappling with their new reality.
The influx of displaced people into Mogadishu’s IDP camps continues daily, each new arrival visibly worn out by their harrowing journey.
Mohamed Osman Mumin, tasked with registering new arrivals, noted, “Since July, over 3,340 families have poured into camps in Garasbaley and Kahda districts. Some have been here 20 days, others just three. They lack shelter and food. We’ve provided sticks for makeshift shelters and solicited old clothing donations. Initially, we collected rice and other supplies from stores and local residents, cooking meals for the first two days,” he explained.
As the conflict rages on, many families in the camps depend on the generosity of neighbors and the sparse resources at their disposal. Their lives are a perpetual struggle for survival, with no clear end to the violence or their plight in sight.
