Attachments
Brief Analysis
This week’s calls (4-10 July 2024) to Radio Ergo’s audience feedback platform reflected the same pattern that has continued over the past few weeks of beneficial rainfall reported in some areas, with complaints of drought and water shortage in other areas. A handful of callers in northern parts said that locusts were becoming a problem. Radio Ergo’s weekly programmes on agriculture and livestock continued to attract strong engagement with callers from different regions seeking help and advice on farm pests and crop production, and livestock diseases and treatment. The following summarises the calls by theme.
Aid & Services – a caller in Sool region complained that local NGOs implementing projects with support from WFP were not delivering aid consistently. The caller asked for WFP to deliver aid directly to people instead of through local NGOs. A caller in Miyir-tuuge, Middle Shabelle region, said pastoralist families there were vulnerable and not served by government or aid agencies. He said they lacked schools, water wells, and health centres. He wanted his message to be shared to get intervention.
Jobs – callers in Galgadud and Kismayo, L. Juba, identified unemployment as their main concern and wanted jobs in their areas.
Locusts – a female caller from Sool region said the locusts were destroying the vegetation and they needed help dealing with them. Another said their crops were being destroyed. A caller in Goronyo-hun said they had been plagued by locusts for the past three months and needed control measures. He said the livestock were getting thin due to loss of vegetation.
Drought and water shortage – a caller in Sahil region of Somaliland said drought in the area had been severe and whilst there had been pockets of rainfall, vulnerable people in some areas were in need of waiter aid. Callers in Bosaso, Bari, and Dharkeyn-genyo, Sool, also said they had suffered drought and lacked water. In Mudug region, several callers in Jarriban complained of water shortage affecting people and livestock and wanted aid agencies to help deliver water. One caller said water reservoirs had dried up, and as well as water they needed food. In Hiran, a caller in Far-libah said they lacked water and needed boreholes to be constructed. A caller in Baidoa said their farms had been hit by drought. Two others in Baidoa indicated that they needed rainfall for their crops to thrive. One caller in Bardera, Gedo, said they hadn’t had rainfall recently and were short of water.
Livestock – two callers in Badhan, Sanag, said their livestock were dying from an unidentified disease and they were also facing drought. They asked for help. [Both these Badhan callers reported the arrival of rainfall three days later and said conditions were improving]. Callers in various regions complained of diseases affecting goats and camels. Some said the diseases were unknown, noting symptoms such as diarrhoea, runny noses, and boating, whilst others mentioned CCPP and cowpox. Most asked for advice and treatment.
Agriculture – crop pests were reported by many farmers especially those in riverine areas of the south. A female farmer in Gedo wanted to know why her banana plantations had not grown fruit over the past year. A farmer in Warbarka, Galgadud, said his 70 hectares of farmland had failed and they needed help with water and means of cultivation.