Displaced Sanaag Pastoralists Face Harsh Life In Sool

Hundreds of displaced nomadic pastoralists are stranded near Lasanood in Sool with no pasture or water for their livestock and meagre means for their own consumption.

The families arrived at Dhagahya-Addo, 25 km north of Lasanood, in October last year in search of grazing for their livestock.

They trekked from Badhan, Hingalool and Elbuh under the jurisdiction of Sanaag region following prolonged drought there after the autumn ‘deyr’ and spring ‘gu’ rains failed.

But now they are finding it hard to keep their animals alive and fear that worsening conditions will take their toll on their families too.

Radio Ergo’s local reporter visited Dhagahya-Addo and. found the area had been totally denuded of pasture by overgrazing, as more and more families had arrived with their livestock during the latter part of last year.

Faduma Ahmed Mahamuud told our reporter the overgrazing was affecting them as relative newcomers to the area, as well as the others who initially lived in the area.

Faduma said she could not afford to buy food for her 10 children. “Last Friday, I took seven goats to Lasanood to sell but no one wanted to buy them as they are too thin. I have come back with them. I don’t know what to do now,” she said. Sabah Ali Haji, from Hingalool, said 50 out of her 100 goats had died from hunger.

She said she had started slaughtering the rest of her herd for her children as there is no market for skinny animals and she cannot afford otherwise to buy food for the children.

Meanwhile, four of her children have become sick and are weak from hunger. Awil Farah Abdi, a herder, told Radio Ergo the families lacked adequate shelters to protect them from the scorching sun during the day and the cold during the night.

“As the pasture which we came here for became scarce, we better go back to where we came from – but we don’t have means to do that either,” he said. He said their situation would worsen unless they received assistance.

Ergo