The Biting Drought in Somaliland

Imagine a parched land with dried shrubs all around. Imagine nearly dry water sources. Imagine livestock and human beings competing for this little water. Imagine young children not having food to eat and malnutrition sets in. Imagine seeing your source of livelihood slowly dwindling and there is nothing you can do.

This is not imagined but a reality that men, women and children in parts of Somaliland have to face each day. Habiba, a mother of eight children knows too well the harsh realities of the drought.

Due to lack of enough food to feed her family, three of her children have been admitted at World Vision’s Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP). Through the program, she gets three rations of plumpy nut for her children. World Vision, through Irish Aid was able to support some of the communities in Somaliland through livestock restocking; unconditional cash transfer as well as offer nutrition programs.

Habiba was identified as one of the beneficiaries and she received some money and was able to buy the necessities for her children like food and water.

“Everything is now expensive because of the drought. I now buy a 20 litre jerican of water at four USD.”

As a pastoralist community, the drought has also affected their livestock and most of them have lost their livestock.

“We depend on livestock so much. Most pastoralists have lost their livestock and that affects us as well, as we depend on them to earn a living.”

Since the drought was declared in July 2015 by the government of Somaliland, World Vision, through Irish Aid have been responding to the population’s needs with interventions such as Community based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP) activities as well as protecting livelihoods through livestock restocking and unconditional cash exchange.

Much more support is needed like food, water and nutrition to reach other areas that have been affected by the drought. Through the emergency response, World Vision will seek to reach 64,000 people including children.