Drought displaces thousands of families in Puntland State of Somalia

[Deeq A.]

Somali nomads displaced by droughts, migrated to Haji Kheir village near Dangorayo in Nugaal region.

Garowe (PP News Desk) — Somali nomads are familiar with impact of droughts on their livelihood. The hope that spring rains will fall assuaged the pangs of the dry season. Not anymore. Nomads in Nugaal’s coastal area have migrated further inland into areas knows as Soolasha in search of water and pasture.

“We have never experienced a drought stronger in intensity than the one we are living through” a nomad told Puntland TV.

He said that rains have not fallen for three successive seasons. Nomads have set up communities at Haji Kheir area near Dangorayo. Traditional Somali houses— aqal— are dotted along a large strip of land populated by nomads who have lost a large number be of their livestock due to the drought.

“Nomads have gathered here with what is left of their livestock to benefit from water generated from a machine [provided by Puntland government]” the nomad added.

A Somali nomad (right) being interviewed by a Puntland Television reporter.

Exceptionally stoic though the nomad comes across despite the extreme hardship, he reflected on one of the least mentioned effects of the recurrent droughts in Puntland: “The traditional wells (wiyeer) have dried up” he said. Traditional wells were last resort of water resource in the Somali countryside particularly where water reservoirs are either scare or non-existent.

Puntland State government lacks policies for drought preparedness. Underinvestment in the nomadic communities resulting from failure to appreciate the nomads’ habitat as the source of meat and milk compounds the plight of Puntland nomadic communities. Puntland State government has belatedly appointed a committee to study ways to respond to the drought emergencies.

“We have to find out if climate change caused traditional wells. It is deplorable that the coping mechanisms of our nomadic communities are getting weakened. Life in the urban areas partly depends on productivity of nomads who raise livestock whose meat, milk and ghee we consume in addition to being a hard currency earner” said Ali Musse, a livestock exporter in Bosaaso.

Efforts to mitigate impact of droughts such as community water reservoirs and animal feed for the dry season are some of the measures that public authorities can put in place in order not leave Somali nomads in lurch.

© Puntland Post, 2022

The post Drought displaces thousands of families in Puntland State of Somalia appeared first on Puntland Post.