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Somalia

Radio Ergo Weekly Feedback Report, Issued: 25 Jan 2025

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Brief Analysis

The majority of calls to Radio Ergo’s nationwide audience feedback platform in the week 16-22 January 2025 were focused on the impact of drought, with a significant number of callers specifically requesting aid or assistance from humanitarian organisations and/or government authorities. Whilst many other callers did not make specific calls for help, this was usually implicit in their messages recorded on the platform. Clan conflict was another topic concerning callers this week, particularly in Sanag region in the north, as well as in Galgadud and Middle Shabelle regions. These callers wanted intervention by authorities to end the conflicts causing disruption to communities.

(In the attached list of calls, we have added a * denoting callers making overt requests for aid or other assistance from humanitarians or governmental authorities). The following is a narrative summary of the calls by theme.

Aid – a caller identifying as a farmer in Bardera, Gedo region, said the farmers had not seen any aid organisations including WFP recently. He said the aid was being given to other people and the farmers had been neglected. He wanted his message to be shared.

PLWD – a caller in Sanag region speaking for people living with disabilities said they needed help in getting wheelchairs so that they could move around.

IDPs – in Erigabo, Sanag region, one caller said they were among IDP families there who were appealing for aid intervention. Another caller in Sanag said the conflicts going on in the region had caused displacement of families who had migrated to Badhan, where they needed help. A female caller in northern Guriel, Galgadud region, said they were IDP families who had lost their livestock and were appealing for aid organisations to reach them. In Hiran region, a caller in Beledweyne said he was speaking for IDPs who were facing severe drought and were appealing for help. In Middle Shabelle region, a caller in Jowhar said he was among the IDPs in Biafra camp, where there were water taps that had been installed by Save the Children. He said there had been an influx of new IDPs arriving at the camp and the water was being sold to them. They wanted to receive free water and he asked for his message to be shared.

Nutrition – among callers responding to Radio Ergo’s weekly nutrition programme, a caller in Suqa-Holaha [Banadir] said his small baby was malnourished, and despite getting medicines from the pharmacies the baby remained very thin and in poor condition. The father wanted advice from the health experts on what to do.

Conflict – several callers in Sanag, especially Erigabo, spoke of clan conflict causing displacement and disruption and asked for intervention by government or other agencies to stop the conflicts. In Galgadud, a caller in Gelinsor asked local authorities to address the clan conflicts there. A caller in Daifo, Middle Shabelle, also said there were clan conflicts in the area that the government must address.

Drought and water shortage – calls on this topic constituted the largest number this week. A caller in Hargeisa asked the government to address the water shortage issues that people were facing. In Togdher region, one caller in Hayira said the drought was severe and another in Sheikh called for the drilling of boreholes. Another said their livestock were becoming weak and were unfit for sale in the market. Among callers from Sanag, one in Gumahadle said they faced severe drought and hadn’t had any aid organisations in their area. He requested Radio Ergo to share their message. A caller in Hulul asked for aid to help them cope with food and water shortage. Another in Hingalol said they needed water wells. Another caller in Sanag appealed for help and asked Radio Ergo to share their messages because he said other media organisations didn't amplify them. In Bari region, a female caller in La'-Barwaqo said the last time they had good rainfall was in 2019 and that they hadn’t been able to grow crops or provide enough fodder for their livestock. She said they were appealing for help. In Mudug region, a caller in Bandiradley said severe drought had led to water and fodder shortage and he wanted aid organisations to help them. Another caller said they were managing as they had some hay in store for their livestock.

In Galgadud region, a caller in Balanbal said they were faced with food and water shortage, and their livestock were in poor condition. He said they needed the government and aid organisations to help them. Other callers in Guriel also said they needed help to cope with the drought conditions. In Hiran, callers in Defow and Beletweyne asked for help due to the drought and water shortage. Several people called from Middle Shabelle, including one in Raqeyle, who said they were drought-hit pastoralists appealing for help. Others in Qalimow, Jowhar, and El-Shangol expressed stress due to drought including crop loss and wanted aid organisations to reach them. A caller in Wanleweyn, Lower Shabelle, said this year their farms had been hit by drought. He wanted their message shared with aid organisations to get assistance.

Environment – among callers on environment and climate change topics, one from Armale, Sanag, complained about people clearing grass from their grazing lands and asked the government to take action to stop them.

Locusts - in Sanag, a caller said the farmers in the area were losing their crops after being invaded by locusts. He said they needed help in controlling the locusts.