Attachments
Brief Analysis
The calls this week (8-14 February 2024) to Radio Ergo’s independent audience feedback platform give insights into the concerns of communities over drought and water shortage in some regions, notably Sanag, Galgadud, and Gedo; as well as the challenges facing communities still recovering from the floods, especially in Bay, Gedo, and Hiran. Locust invasions reported in parts of Sanag and Puntland sparked concerns among farmers in southern regions. Other callers in Puntland and central regions wanted help with various livestock diseases affecting their herds. The following summarises the calls by theme.
Drought & Water Shortage – a number of callers in the mountain areas of Sanag region complained about drought and water scarcity and appealed for aid. Among several in El-Laman, a female caller said the drought was severe and they needed help. Another caller said the only water that remained was contaminated and he wanted his message shared with aid organisations. In Badhan, one caller asked the Puntland government to deliver water aid. Another in Badhan said their water sources had dried up and they had received no help from aid or government agencies. He wanted their message shared in order to get intervention. In Sool region, a caller said they were pastoralists whose livestock weren’t getting enough fodder due to drought. Another said they faced water shortage and also conflict had cut off road access making food short as well. He asked for government help. One caller in Hargeisa said they were facing drought and water shortage. In Galgadud, callers in Ado-Kibir said their livestock were not getting enough water due to a lack of boreholes in the area and some water pumps in need of repair. A female caller in Biyogadud said they had not had any rainfall and faced drought. A caller in Hananbure said they were short of water and food and needed aid. A caller in Tulo-Barwaqo located between Dusamareb and Eldhere said they needed more boreholes to be drilled there. Several callers in Gedo region spoke of drought. One said it was severe and also their livestock faced diseases. Others said drought was affecting their farms and they needed aid and water.
IDPs – a caller in Galkayo said IDPs were facing drought and water shortage and needed help. A caller in Gangeb village [Golis number but unspecified location] said they had been displaced by fire that burnt down their houses and faced water shortage and other hardships and needed help.
Flood Recovery – in Bay region, a caller said farmers had recovered from the floods that had destroyed their crops and had begun farming again, but all their food stocks had been washed away by the floods. In Gedo, a caller in Bardera said they hadn’t had any aid since being forced into displacement by the floods and people were struggling with food shortage and needed help. Another in Bardera said the floods had washed away their farms leaving them destitute and in need of aid. In El-Wak, a caller said pastoralists were unable to sell their livestock due to the bridge collapse and wanted help to rebuild it in order to pursue their business. In Hiran, among callers in Beletweyne one said they had returned to their homes and were concerned by the mosquito influx. Another complained that schools were always closed and education interrupted whenever there were floods. Another said grass was growing on their farms and the livestock had fodder but they remained thin and feeble and he wanted to know what was wrong with them.
Locusts – a caller in Bari region wanted aid agencies to be alerted to the swarms of locusts he said were destroying their crops. Another Puntland caller said they needed help in spraying the locusts that had descended on their farms. A caller in Jowhar, Middle Shabelle, said the farmers were hearing on the radio about the locusts in northern Somalia. He wanted to know if they were likely to spread southwards, and if they did how could they protect their farms that they were just reviving after the floods.
Jobs – a caller in Mogadishu said unemployment was high and the government should assist young people to make a living by giving them farming and fishing equipment.
Nutrition – there were a number of calls on this topic probably responding to the Radio Ergo weekly Nutrition programme, where experts explain and address listeners’ questions. A caller in el-Laheley, Sanag, said they observed malnutrition in their area. A caller in a rural part of Adado wanted to know if PlumpyNut sachets were nutritious as their children became sick after eating them.
Livestock – many pastoralists complained that various wild animals were attacking them and their herds. Others complained of diseases and asked for both advice and veterinary treatment. A caller in Bahdo, Galgadud, asked the government to help them to get access to livestock medicines in their area. He said there were various widespread livestock diseases going round, some of which they couldn’t identify.