How has Gedo region kept famine away? AP reports

[Gabbal]

[Mintid Farayar]

Gabbal, thanks for sharing. Much needed positive news. Beautiful land with beautiful people. The dividends of peace...

[Gabbal]

The Dawa River, sometimes considered Somalia's third largest river. enters Somalia through Dollow, travels throughout northern Gedo and especially in Beled-Hawo district where it forms the source of many streams and tributaries down to Humbaale streams in Garbahareey district.

 

It is effect is so felt that Gedo region is divided into two geographical designations; Dawa and Diir-Haro. Beled-Hawo, Luq, and Dollow are part of Dawa while Bardhere, Burdubo, El Wak, and El-Adde are part of Diir-Haro with Garbaharey district between them.

 

 

Somali farmland offers hope amidst conflict, famine

 

DOLLOW, Somalia — Farmers pull up onions from the soft earth on the green banks of a river, while water gurgles down irrigation channels: an ordinary rural scene, if it were not taking place in Somalia.

 

A harsh drought swept the Horn of Africa this year, turning several southern Somali regions into famine zones where thousands are reported to have died,

but the small farming region separated from Ethiopia by the river Dawa was spared.

 

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) started a project last year to clear nine hectares of land -- extremely fertile, but abandoned to the wild since 1964, when Somalia and Ethiopia fought over their common border.

 

Now a pump gushes out water from the river, irrigating tomato plants, beans, watermelons and onions -- just a few miles from a camp for displaced people, forced to flee from the country's famine-struck regions.

 

"We could have died if the aid had not been given," said Hassan Arab Barre, the village chief, adding that while before the project "life was not good," he can now sell surplus crops in the local market.

 

"We have harvested for the past two seasons because we had a water pump but before we were not able to do so," Barre added. "The whole area was a forest but we have been digging, and now it is a farm with a good harvest."

 

Nor is this the only programme here: 244 similar farming projects in the southern Gedo region have been launched, benefiting 4,400 families.

 

It's a small pocket of relative calm from the bloody conflict elsewhere in southern Somalia, with Ethiopian forces and allied militia having driven Islamist Shebab insurgents some 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the east.

 

Over $800 million has been donated to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, triggered by two dry seasons and worsened by the two decades of bloody civil war.

 

The United Nations last week halved the number of famine zones, but warned thousands still face death in the world's worst crisis with nearly 250,000 people face imminent starvation.

 

But if the necessary investments had been made earlier and on a regular basis, far less money would have been needed to prevent such a disaster, following the example of Dollow, said Luca Alinovi, FOA head for Somalia.

 

"A dollar spent in prevention avoids six dollars spent in the response to a humanitarian crisis," said Alinovi.

 

Installing a water pump, for example, can be done at relatively little cost for dramatic impact, but "the dominant fact of the last 21 years in Somalia was the lack of continued investment," he says.

 

Images of Somalia as an arid wasteland populated by dazed refugees from hunger are by no means inevitable, according to FAO specialists.

 

Despite the war, Somalia this year will export 4.3 million head of livestock to Gulf states.

 

Before the war, Somalia was a prolific exporter of bananas, has two of the largest rivers in East Africa, the Juba and Shabelle, and the Italian colonisers left an irrigation system that could be rehabilitated.

 

But the ongoing war is obviously a major challenge. Al-Qaeda linked Shebab rebels are battling Kenyan forces in the south, Ugandan and Burundian African Union forces in Mogadishu, and face Ethiopian troops which reports say have crossed in from the southwest over the weekend.

 

"The Somali farmers will suffer because they will not be able to access their land to harvest," Alinovi said, even though current heavy rains would have otherwise helped their crops.

 

Dollow region, a dusty scrubland in July, is now dotted with green bushes and fresh growth, helping fatten up camels recently brought back by their owners, who left in search of grazing lands for their herds.

 

"So many animals died during the drought," said Ahmed Warsame, from the Association of Veterinarians in southern Somalia.

 

"The situation is improving day by day, but there are people who have lost all their livestock. They now need humanitarian aid to resume their business."

 

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[Gabbal]

Mintid Farayar;761669 wrote:

Gabbal, thanks for sharing. Much needed positive news. Beautiful land with beautiful people. The dividends of peace...

Indeed, all this is a testament to peace. We can debate theory all we like all day but the people back home are looking practical realistic solutions.

[Mintid Farayar]

Gabbal,

 

On another note, where does Gedo leadership stand on the Kismayo offensive by the Kenyans and their Somali allies? Is there support for the Azania project within the Gedo community?

[Som@li]

If you give a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish you'll feed him for a lifetime.

 

A great lesson for the rest of Somalis, one must break away from the idea of AID and donation, Thanks Gabbal, War beeraha fasha, war kaluunka dabta!!

[Carafaat]

Thanks gabbal,

 

Great effort by Gedo folks, worth to follow their examplke. Can prevent some of the suffering we have seen this year.

 

Mintid,

 

Azania is ingenous political leverage invented by O people. Have applauded it from the beginning. However Gedo folks have their own political leverage as well, using the element of suprise comparable with the tactics of 1969, eventhought it has it risks. I am kind of curious myself of Gabbal's take on this and what future ma hold for the region.

[Gabbal]

As I have said, there is no such thing as Azania (this should be obvious by now) and there is a serious alternative that will be announced at the right timing which has already brought together many of the main stakeholders in a future Jubbaland. It is a serious initiative with broad support from the TFG, IGAD, and recently UNPOS. There is already participation from the O and including Ahmed Madoobe, who commands the only armed group from that group relevant in the idealized state today.

 

The banks of the Jubba have overflowed and once the water recedes, both Baardheere and Kismaayo will be taken. Al Shabaab has been liquadated in the Gedo region and they are not able to muster even hit-and-run attacks anymore in any of the lost districts of Garbahareey, Beled-Xaawo, Luuq, Doollow, Buurdhuubo, etc Their institutions in the state have been dismantled but more than that the civilian population has completely lost all psychological support of the group and realize now perhaps the most important thing which is that they are not the future. Also, in the Lower Jubba, there has been much success against them and there are signs that the year long process in the Gedo region that has targeted psychological and emotional support of the group, not only military support, is being successfully implemented. It is prudent to assume at best they are lame-duck and at worst an already lost power given small reprieve by a heavy rainy season in a part of the world without any substantial infrastructure allowing cross movement.

 

It seems the adage things get worse right before they improve seems to be repeating.

[Valenteenah.]

Fantastic! TBH all that is needed is peace and then everyone will happily fend for themselves.

[Eng.Cadde]

A clan state like azania is a joke,the future lies in peaceful co-existance in the shared land of jubbas.If a refugee from shiniile thinks he can dominate others by riding kenyan tanks then that is his stup i dity and nothing else.the numerous natives should form a balanced local governance shystem inclusive of all Including the H people that reside there.

[Somalia]

Did Shabaab leave Gedo? The future looks bright, great work.

 

The people of Jubboyinka should make a unity regional government, it's the only way forward and Kismayo as the commercial capital.

 

May peace prevail.

[Dabrow]

good news