Attachments
Brief Analysis
Calls to Radio Ergo’s platform in the first week of May (1-6 May 2025) indicated a mixed picture of some communities welcoming rainfall in some regions, whilst others complaining of ongoing drought and hardships elsewhere. Two callers in Middle Shabelle and Gedo regions said people had lost crops and property in recent floods and needed assistance. Several farmers in southern regions wanted help with water pumps and also seeds to plant. The following summarises the calls by theme.
Floods – a caller in Baya-hawo, Middle Shabelle, said their farms had been badly hit by flooding, and the water had destroyed their crops. They were appealing for help. A caller in Gedo region, who didn’t specify the location, said they had suffered flooding that destroyed their houses and farms. They needed help from humanitarian organisations, especially as there were vulnerable children involved.
Aid – a caller in Dalsan near Adado, Galgadud region, said due to the drought they were in urgent need of assistance, particularly medicine and other essential supplies. He said he had called the platform before but received no response so was hoping this time for response to his appeal. A caller in Sool in the north said people there were short of food and needed aid.
Health – a caller in Adado, Galgadud, said after the rain there had been an outbreak of flu and many people were sick in the area. A caller in Hirshabelle said their child under two years was malnourished and refusing to eat. He wanted advice on how to feed the child.
Jobs – several callers were concerned about unemployment. A caller in Dooley, Galgadud, wanted job creation by the government and aid agencies. A caller in Bardera, Gedo, said he couldn’t make enough money from his work cutting firewood for a living and that his family faced food shortage and hardship.
Livestock – among callers from livestock herders, a female caller in Bosaso, Bari region, wanted vaccination campaigns for livestock in their area. A caller in Middle Shabelle asked for veterinary advice about certain injectable medicines that were killing their goats.
Agriculture – two callers in Middle Shabelle wanted help with installing water pumps for their farms. One said they didn’t get enough water and that manual irrigation of the crops had not been effective. He said a water pump would help irrigate the farm so he could support his children. A farmer in Bardera, Gedo, said he needed a solar pump as their farms were far from the river. A caller who didn’t specify their location asked for the agriculture ministry to distribute seeds for planting.
Drought and water shortage – a caller in Yufle, Sanag region, said most people had migrated away due to prolonged drought and those left behind needed help. A caller in Dalsan said they hadn’t had any rainfall and were facing desperate conditions due to the drought. He said pests were destroying the little vegetation that was left and they were appealing for help. A female caller in Guriel said they were suffering from drought and food shortage. She said their goats had perished, and they were appealing for humanitarian aid. Another female caller in Mahaday, Middle Shabelle, said they were facing water scarcity in the area and hoping for rainfall. In Bay region, a caller in Dinsor said they were suffering from drought, and praying for god to alleviate the hardship and bless them with rain. A caller in Luq, Gedo, said the drought persisted and many families had migrated with their livestock.
Rainfall – callers in scattered parts of the north, including El-Afweyen, Berbera, and Dadmaren, said they had received rain. A number of people called from parts of Galgadud citing rainfall, including from Adado, Abudwak, Galmegag, Dusamareb, and mostly from Guriel. Some, however, said the rain has been moderate or little though they hoped for more. A caller in Galmegag said they now had water in the reservoirs. Several also called from Beletweyne, Hiran region, saying they had received rain although it was little. One caller from Beletweyne said they were doing well and their only problem was the ongoing conflict in Hiran with Al-Shabaab. In Bay region, some welcomed rain although a caller in Baidoa said heavy downpours had blocked up their toilets. In Bardera, Gedo, a female caller said after the rain they were working on their farms, whilst another said their crops were now thriving.