(ERGO) – The grip of drought that has been tightening in central Somalia over the last six months has forced hundreds of children in Galgadud region of Galmudug state out of school.
These displaced students, mostly from nomadic pastoralist families, are now scattered throughout Galgadud, Hiran, and Middle Shabelle regions, where they migrated looking for better conditions for their herds.
Halima Ahmed Farah’s family moved to Qor-jidle in Hiran region last September, looking for pasture for their 50 remaining goats. They left Tula-cano, a village near Guriel in Galgadud, after three consecutive failed rainy seasons. Their goats had become weak and unproductive and needed better pasture.
But the area they moved to in Hiran had also received very little rain. There were also many others like them who had arrived to share the sparse resources.
Halima said they could not afford to make another journey now and were stranded for the time being.
“I feel devastated because my children, whom I invested time and money in and who were in sixth grade, are now herding goats. They have been in the countryside for two months, living under harsh conditions. I had hoped they would move forward, but they have been pushed back into darkness. The lack of education has had a significant impact on us,” Halima told Radio Ergo.
Halima stated that she could not afford to send her children to areas where they could continue their education due to financial constraints. Currently, her family relies on 12 kilograms of food donated last month by relatives in Guriel that is running out.
“Life is extremely difficult. We feel neglected and displaced. The drought has taken everything from us -our homes, schools, and even our livestock. The animals have become weak due to the drought, and there is nothing left to sell.”
Having lived in her village for 15 years, Halima now faces hardship compounded by the isolation of being in an unfamiliar area without support.
Mahmoud Kasim Warsame shares a similar plight. He had to withdraw his two children from Landher school in Guriel, where they were studying in the fifth grade. He made this difficult decision when he took his 60 goats to Sina-dhaqo village near Dhusamareb, which had received some rainfall in October.
“Speaking on behalf of all parents in this situation, I appeal to the ministry of education to support us in ensuring our children’s education continues. There are many others in a similar situation, and we hope our request will be heard,” Mahmoud said.
His family is facing severe financial difficulties, as his livestock have been affected by pasture shortages and a disease he suspects to be CCPP, leaving them unfit to sell in the market. The disease is spreading amongst his herd.
“This is the peak of the dry season, and as you know, pastoralists depend entirely on their livestock. We hoped for assistance but found none. Then the rains were limited, and people had to move elsewhere,” he said.
Mahmoud’s family is sheltering under a tree with little shade, having left behind their house and belongings because they could not afford to hire a vehicle to transport them. They also lack food.
Landher school, that relied on community support, is now closed. The school principal, Shuayb Mahmoud Ali, said that all 40 students enrolled were forced to drop out due to the drought.
The school, which provided free education for primary and middle school students, shut in October when the enrollment fell The two volunteer teachers from Guriel also moved away as there were no students left to teach.
The school had been operating since 2022, but this is the first time it has closed due to drought-induced displacement. The principal expressed concern about finding new teachers prepared to work voluntarily like the last ones did, if families do return.
The director of information at Galmudug’s Ministry of Education, Abdulqadir Osman Cilmi, confirmed that 410 students had been affected by the closure of nine schools in the state.
He noted that the ministry had relocated 50 students due to take their final middle school exams this year to a government school in Guriel so they could continue their studies
He said the ministry was working to provide food to the affected areas to encourage families to return and resume their children’s education.
“We are currently making efforts to distribute food to these communities so that children can return to their villages and continue their education. The goal is to prevent students from scattering further and to bring back those who followed their nomadic families. We also plan to assign government teachers to these schools. We are doing everything possible to reopen them,” the official said.