Attachments
Brief summary
The majority of callers to the Radio Ergo audience feedback this week (7-15 December 2021) were concerned by the deepening impact of the ongoing drought across the country. Many pastoralists spoke of migrating in vain to other areas in search of water and pasture for their livestock, or of resources being depleted by large numbers of people and animals arriving. Many callers said their livestock had died or were sick or dying and had no market value. New invasions of locusts were a concern especially in certain regions of Somaliland. Many callers wanted intervention by government and/or aid agencies. The following summarises the calls by theme.
Drought and water shortage – this week there were several callers from Awdal, saying their livestock had died, they had no water, and people had moved away from the area. One caller said the birds had eaten the remains of his dead animals. They asked the Somaliland government to help. Among the callers from Togdher, one in Buhodle said boreholes were being constructed and businesses, farmers and pastoralists should support the efforts. Among the callers from Sanag, one said so many people had migrated there that resources had finished and water being trucked in from far away was sold at high cost. In Sool, callers complained of continuing drought or disappointingly inadequate rainfall. In Puntland, several callers said they had migrated long distances to different places but found no water. A female caller in Nugal said she was among those unable to leave the region and the children were malnourished. In Mudug, callers spoke of failed rains, water shortages, and the exodus of people. One caller in Gideys said a small baby had died due to conditions resulting from drought. Callers in various parts of Galgadud asked for aid to save their livestock. One caller said the drought was severe, resources after scanty rain were now depleted, and they were unable to sell their animals before they died. In Hiran, callers said they needed water aid. A caller in Buq-aqable said the local politicians came promising to help people sell their livestock but then disappeared. In the south, callers from M. and L. Shabelle, L. Juba, Bay, and Gedo complained of water scarcity killing livestock and causing farms to fail. A mother of seven in Bay region said they were agriculturally dependent and had been affected by locusts and then the drought. A caller in Luq said there was a shortage of food. A caller in Afmadow said many drought-hit families needed aid. There were also several calls from Somali Region of Ethiopia asking the government to deliver water aid.
Locusts – calls about new invasions of desert locusts came largely from Sanag, with some from Hargeisa and Sool, as well as Puntland and Mudug. Among the callers in Sanag, one said they had been hit by a devastating combination of drought and locusts. Another said they were under the grip of locusts in Hingalol and he believed his livestock were sick as a result. Callers wanted intervention and locust control measures.
Other topics – some listeners in different regions called about the spread of COVID19, with some asking for advice or information. There were calls from pastoralists for advice on livestock diseases from the Radio Vet, and calls from farming asking for advice from the experts on the Agriculture programme. Callers in Puntland complained about steep prices rises and asked the government to stabilise the currency and prices