HERDERS IN SOMALIA’S NORTHEASTERN REGIONS FIND DRY RESERVOIRS AFTER LONG TREK
Around 300 desperate pastoralist families fleeing drought in northeastern Somalia’s Bari, Nugal and Sanag regions have descended on Karin-dabeylweyn locality, 70 km from Lasanod town in Sool region, looking for water.
According to local elders and migrating herders, around 100 families are still in Karin-dabeylweyn while the other 200 have migrated further afield due to the general water shortage in the area.
The unusual migration of these herders has taken place over the past three months. It has brought crisis to the locals of the area.
Hussein Hersi Jama, an elder in Karin-d
abeylweyn, told Radio Ergo that the influx of pastoralist families had created great concern as the water the locals had stored in 80 underground reservoirs (‘berkeds’) had now been used up.
He said the only source of water remaining was in 20 privately owned ‘berkeds’, where they had to buy water both for their livestock and for themselves. There are no wells.
The area received some rainfall four months ago. The huge influx from other areas had now precipitated a pasture shortage for the animals as well.
“I think the situation will get worse than it is now if water trucking is not started as soon as possible,” Hussein said.
Radio Ergo’s local reporter in Lasanodo said those coming into the area had been affected by successive droughts and their animals were weak and sick.
Hussein said the locals had tried to help the needy as much as they could, by selling water to them for $2 rather than $3 a jerry can. But resources were running thin.
