Around 2,000 families living in New Luglow camp, a displacement settlement 25 kilometres from Kismayo, are homeless after strong seasonal winds destroyed their makeshift houses in January.
Deqa-Luul Deerow and her 11 children are relying on the kindness of another IDP family within the camp, sharing their small shack that withstood the wind.
“We are sleeping at a relative’s house while we try to rebuild our own,” she explained. “Some people built extra shacks when they got aid money. They now have a kitchen area and a room. When the disaster happened, they said we could use one of these shacks, that’s where the children ae staying now.”
Deeqa’s home that blew down was a single-room shack, built just a year ago. She’s been scavenging for blankets, pieces of cloths, and cardboard in the nearby Istanbul area, hoping to piece together a new shelter.
“The wind ripped off the few pieces of fabric we had. Some people don’t even have a single sheet of plastic. I don’t have the means to buy anything. Everything is gone. Some people’s homes were completely destroyed. People don’t have the resources to rebuild; they have nothing. My own home was destroyed,” she told Radio Ergo.
Deeqa’s family also face constant food insecurity. Her husband works in construction, earning a meagre $4 on the days he’s called up for work. This is barely enough for a single meal.
“If you manage to get a piece of flatbread after running around all day, there’s no place to cook. There is no firewood, no charcoal, and even the water we receive has to be paid for. Life is full of struggles.”
Deeqa and her family were displaced from Barka village, 45 km from Kismayo, in early November 2023 after floods from the Jubba River destroyed their farm. Their 8-hectare farm used to produce maize, beans, and various vegetables.
These displaced families live on elevated land near the Jubba River and the ocean. The location makes them vulnerable to natural disasters, as the area lacks trees to shield against sandstorms and strong winds. This has made them vulnerable to the frequent coastal winds affecting Luglow and surrounding coastal settlements.
Hawo Mohamed Ibrahim and her seven children have been without shelter for a week after their hut in New Luglow was destroyed by the wind. She keeps trying to patch up her house using plastic sheets, cartons, and old clothes, but every time a strong wind blows it gets battered again.
Two of her children, aged 3 and 5, have developed health problems due to the cold nights and lack of proper shelter.
“The wind completely destroyed our home. My children developed fever and flu. The house was just covered with plastic sheets and clothes; it was not strong enough to resist the wind. This has been a great disaster for us,” she said.
She is planning to rebuild her home with help from neighbours who have given her some materials. She and her children have also been gathering tree branches to use in reconstruction. She bought a single plastic sheet for $4 from the market to aid in her rebuilding efforts.
“As a woman with no husband, I have no place to stay. If you don’t have a proper house and kitchen, you can’t even cook because the sand keeps blowing into the food,” she said.
Hawo’s family depends on her earnings from farm work in Qaam-Qaam, a village four kilometres from where they now live. She earns $2-3 per day, which is only enough to prepare one meal for the family.
In December 2023, she and her children were displaced from the rural areas of Jamame in Lower Jubba region after drought devastated their 10-hectare farm, where they grew beans, maize, and sesame. She sought refuge in the displacement camps to find work or receive aid from humanitarian organisations.
Mohamed Ali Muse, an environmental and marine science expert, explained that the coastal winds over the past three weeks had been unusually strong.
“As you know, this is the windy season. In the northern regions, this wind is known as ‘Wajiine,’ while in the south, it’s called ‘Kaskaadi.’ It lasts for about two months, peaking at the end of this month and the middle of the next.”
The ongoing strong winds have left many homeless, creating a state of uncertainty for the affected familie