Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Jowhar in the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia, have received relief items including food and non-food items to help them in the aftermath of heavy rains that washed away homes and destroyed crops and livestock.
In the recent weeks, persistent heavy rains also flooded River Shabelle, leaving hundreds of people stranded in areas prone to water-borne diseases and mosquitoes.
Maow Addow, Community-Based Liaison Officer for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), said that the mission made the donation to ease the hardships of the people living in the IDPs which are in AMISOM’s Areas of Responsibility.
“We handed over relief items including both food and non-food items – rice, vegetable oil, sugar, blankets, plastic sheets, mosquito nets, and buckets. These items have been distributed to over 900 families living in the areas most affected by the recent flooding in the AMISOM Area of Responsibility,” he said.
Sourced by AMISOM, the funds for the purchase of the donated items came from the government of India.
Speaking at a ceremony to handover the items, the Governor of the Middle Shabelle Region, Ahmed Meyre Makaran, thanked AMISOM for the support and said the donation would go a long way to address an immediate humanitarian emergency at a time the people are still dealing with the effects of multiple humanitarian shocks, including the aftermath of a severe locust infestation from 2020 which destroyed their crops and created food insecurity.
“We are grateful to AMISOM for this donation which will go a long way to ease the hardships of the displaced people. As leaders of this region, we are committed to reaching out to all the people currently affected with whatever help we can bring them,” said Makaran.
“We have successfully distributed relief items in Barey Village. AMISOM’s support has been timely,” he emphasised.
A village elder in Barey, Hassan Yussuf Abukar, said since the flooding, hundreds of families in the village have been without food and shelter, and the donation was the first significant humanitarian aid they needed.
“I am grateful I received blankets, mosquito nets, buckets, rice, oil, and other items. This is the first major aid that has reached us, and we are thankful,” he said.
Joining Governor Makaran to distribute the items were the Deputy Governor in Charge of Politics and Administration, Mohamed Abdi Sheikh; the Jowhar District Commissioner, Osman Mohamed Mukhtar, and the Chairperson of Middle Shabelle Women’s Organization, Madina Addow Olow.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Mission in Somalia.
