Unseen victims: The IDPs

Over the last 30 years, hundreds of thousands of people have fled Somalia because of political instability, insecurity, and a dangerous civil war that broke out in the 1990s. Today, thousands of Somali refugees remain in neighboring countries and millions are internally displaced in Somalia. In the last few days, I have been monitoring the situation of IDPs in Mogadishu where there is water scarcity, food insecurity, flimsy shelters, poor health, lack of education, lack of local governance among many others.

Water scarcity

Water sources in Somalia are drying up at a rapid rate as a looming drought intensifies, leaving 70 percent of families across the country without access to safe drinking water. Thousands of children are now reliant on emergency water trucking and unprotected wells or are forced to leave their homes in search of water. https://tinyurl.com/2p8ubzjm.

There is a Somali proverb that says "Soul is water, life is milk" which means that the first thing you need is water. Drought often affects people and animals in the country. Seasonal water shortages are common to many people, especially those living in IDP camps, pastoralists, and farmers. “We seek water far away from our homes, and we often face many problems if we are denied access to water, rape and robbery” bawled Hussein. These people are living difficult lives, which need to be addressed urgently.

Lack of food

The people living in these camps are hardworking people who may sometimes not have enough to live on, and some families do not have anyone to work for and only rely on humanitarian aid.

"I have no one to work for me today. My eldest child is 17 years old. He is disabled and cannot work. Their father died in an explosion. We all depend on donations”, Said Zeinab, a mother of fifteen fatherless children.

"I am in despair at this time, because we are tired of waiting for donors. We always have different people who come to us and say we are doing something for you. They take pictures and interview us, and they never come back to us," Nura, mother of nine children, added.

Poor health

The IDPs often drink contaminated water. There are no hospitals in the camps to assist these people. Some camps have clinics that do not have enough medicine, and they do not have all the necessary medical equipment. Some are locked up without medicines and medical equipment. IDP camps are the leading cause of maternal mortality. Parents and children in the IDPs are the most vulnerable people.

On education

Every parent aspires to have a good education for their children in the future, but circumstances will not allow it. People living in IDP camps are struggling to make ends meet, and there is a little opportunity to study. They may not get food for days. Fartun, 37, lives on the outskirts of Mogadishu and has 12 children. “I have never had a book or a pen in my house, the eldest of whom is 19 years of age, and she has never been to school because I can't afford the cost of education. However, I would love to see my children happily study for me."

There are very few or no educational institutions, and if there are, there is a tuition fee. It is difficult for families to educate their children while struggling to find their food. The Somali constitution stipulates that every Somali citizen has access to free education up to high school. Forget about schools, even the services provided by the government are limited.

While the problem is common, it affects children under the age of 5 and women who are victims of abuse and may not even get justice. The biggest problem these people have is that they do not have enough services to meet all their needs. Most of these people have been displaced from Bay, Bakool, Lower Shabelle, and Middle Shabelle regions, which are considered to be the richest regions in Somalia.

Children are an asset if raised properly. Perhaps, most crimes and violence are committed by children living in camps. It is certain that if they had access to educational institutions they would have avoided all that. Because if they don't get enough care, they become working children under the age of 10 all they have to fight for is to make money. They may be robbed, stolen, or even harmed in some way by their actions. If they had the opportunity to learn, it would change their way of thinking. They would not have time to harm other people as well as themselves. Even their morals are built up by their own refusal to commit abuses.

Convincingly, we have a land full of resources that I believe 100% can lift us out of poverty. For that to happen, we have to come up with knowledge and wisdom. There are many fears about the distribution of resources, but it will benefit if everything is handled correctly with fairness. It provides us with valuable opportunities to avoid a devastating drought each year that is difficult to recover from easily. 

If a country is to be built, its people must be built first.