Making hard choices
The sun above shone in earnest having no alternative on where to aim its rays. The plants had died and the shrubs were bare. But the earth and the plants weren’t the only things that felt the heat of the scorching sun. The people felt it too. Yet in the midst of the harsh environmental conditions, people went about their daily routines, as they had no other option.
The drought has been severe to the community members of Garbodada, Awdal region, Somaliland and one woman, Nimo Mohamed, knows it well. A mother of three children, she has had to take two of her children to the nutrition centre where they were admitted at the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP). This was after World Vision’s nutrition mobilization teams visited her and diagnosed her children as malnourished. As part of World Vision’s drought response and Irish Aid program, she he also received an unconditional cash transfer which she is grateful for.
“I am lost for words for the money given and the nutrition program where my children received help,” she happily says.
With the money she was able to buy foodstuff and other essential needs for her family. However, due to the drought one has to buy only what is most important.
“We have to buy water as well as the price has increased. We can’t do without water and my children can’t do without food, so I need to buy only what is essential,” she says.
The drought is affecting their everyday living and if it doesn’t rain conditions will worsen and Niimo will be forced to take drastic measures to ensure the survival of her children and goats.
“If the drought persists, then I will have to share the food I give to the children to the goats as well, just to ensure the goat’s survival. The goats are our life.”
World Vision has been responding to the population’s needs with interventions such as securing nutrition levels, enhancing health provision and protecting livelihoods in Somaliland since July 2015 when the government first made a drought declaration. Much more however still needs to be done to reach more children who become the most affected in such circumstances.
World Vision targets to reach approximately 64,000 people including children during the emergency response.