Mohamed’s disappointing homecoming

In early 2016, the Government of Kenya announced that it would close Dadaab camp.  Since then, UNHCR has helped approximately 33,400 refugees return to Somalia.  However, others, like Mohamed Muktar, have returned of their own volition, unassisted by the internatioal community.   Mr. Muktar explained in Dadaab he was  a “wheel barril man,” who made a living transporting goods around the camp.  As activities in Dadaab started to wind down, he could no longer make a living and chose to return to Baidoa to see if he could find farm work.

Unfortunately, drought and conflict have frustrated Mr. Muktar’s best efforts.  Farm labor is an important liveilhood source for many Baidoa IDPs.  The previous long rains were disappointing, and pest destroyed what little vegetation remained, resulting in crop failure.  The current short rains have been sporadic.  Many farmers are pessimistic, others are fearful.  The local authority claims that Al-Shabab is levying farm taxes and that many cash poor farmers do not have the resouces to pay these fees.  Others, fearful of a poor harvest and subsequent reprisal by the Al-Shabab are refusing to plant altogether. 

For the residents of of Reydabkuley IDP settlement, this could not be a worse outlook.  For Mohammed Muktar, it is indeed a very disappointing homecoming.  With very little work in town and few prospects for work on the farms, the livelihood situation for Muktar, and thousands of other former pastoralist and farmers, looks dire.   

According to Aden Aden Issak, the camp leader most of the 135 households which make up Reydabkuley IDP site come from neighboring Bakool region with another 15 families returning from Daadab refugee camp.  The majority of the camp is made up of pastoralists and farmers from around Tiegalow district who, suffering from drought, abandoned farming and moved to Baidoa in search of work as day laborers, farm workers and house help.