Project Overview
Mudug Region has in the last years been severely hit and affected by seasonal droughts. It has experienced six consecutive seasonal failed rainy seasons resulting in poor pasture and limited water availability followed by erratic rainfall during Gu 2010 and complete failure of Dyer rains in most areas. As a result of these consecutive dry seasons, some shallow wells dried out or contain only crude salt-water, which is not fit for human and animal consumption. Its intake can possible escalate cases of acute watery diarrhea. Semi-pastoralists and pastoralists and their livestock rely mostly on shallow wells as a sole source of water. HICDA in collaborations with HCI launched a rapid response to the widespread droughts in HICDA’s project areas of Central Somalia. The aid reached the following areas: 8 villages around Ceeldibir, 9 villages around Budbud and 16 villages around Xeero dhagaxlay. The total families serves is 729, most of whom were pastoralists who have migrated towards towns and main villages. For many of the assisted families outside help was their only means of survival.
Activities and Results
Areas Assisted| Name of the area | Number of families assisted |
| Ceel - Debir | 243 families |
| Budbud | 219 families |
| Xeero Dhagaxley | 267 families |
| Total | 729 families |
729 families were reached and each family was given the following amounts of food:
| Article | Amount |
| Rice | 25 Kg |
| Flour | 12.5 Kg |
| Sugar | 12.5 Kg |
| Dates | 6 |
| Cooking Oil | 3 Liters |
Challenges
Positive Challenges
1. How to continuously engage the local people in determining the problem and give them the authority of deciding what and how many people need help.
The negative challenges are:
1. Lack of infrastructure such as roads
2. Scarcity of resources and overwhelming demands
One good lesson learned is the importance of the collaboration between grass root organizations to the success of this project. Organizations that were involved extending the relief aid were:
1. HICDA Galkayo
2. Galkayo University
3. Local leaders
4. Regional leaders
Each of those groups played a very important role to the success and transparency of the relief action.
1. HICDA Gakayo played the central coordination role of the project and was our main contact point.
2. Galkayo University; students of this university carried a major fact finding mission to identify the villages and areas that needed the assistance
3. The Regional leaders took care of the safety of the mission and gave support
4. local leaders helped in registering and distribution of the food to the families affected
We are very happy for what we have achieved in a very short period of time; to have raised $20,000.
Conclusion and ReccomendationsMany nomadic families all their livelihood live in villages and small town and have no where to return. HICDA is analyzing the situation to find how best these people can be assisted.
