Distribution to Fire Victims
At the beginning of March 2013 a fire ignited amongst the makeshift houses of the internally displaced people (IDP) camp near State House in Hargeisa
At the beginning of March 2013 a fire ignited amongst the makeshift houses of the internally displaced people (IDP) camp near State House in Hargeisa. The fire quickly spread consuming the houses and belongings of 109 families. Initially there was a response from several aid and non-governmental organizations; however, by the middle of March the assistance had come to a stand-still.
Upon hearing of the situation, we at LIFE decided that we must do something to further assist the victims of the fire with the little remaining items that we have in storage. With an assortment of clothing and shoes, we put together 109 packages consisting of 11 items, 3 pairs of shoes and 8 articles of clothing.
In coordination with the Ministry of Resettlements Rehabilitations and Reconstructions (MRR&R), we organized the distribution of the packages to take place on the 9th of April. On that day, a representative from each of the 109 families came to the office of MRR&R where they received their package. The people were happy and excited to receive their gift of shoes and clothes.
Zamzam Ahan Dubeh and her two children sit in the MRR&R compound after being given their package of shoes and clothing. They have been in the IDP camp for 5 months.
Mohamed Amal is married and has 3 children. He is a chemistry teacher and speaks English, yet he also has been forced to move into the IDP camp due to the recent heavy rains. Now, his temporary settlement at the camp has been burned down.
Kahar Jama has been living in the IDP camp for the last 22 years. She moved there at the beginning of the civil war.
Food and Tent Distribution
Generous donors have continued to provide rice, food supplements and shelter.
Generous donors have continued to provide rice, food supplements and shelter. A batch of 440 pink tents has brightened up many shanty areas but more importantly has brightened up the lives of the recipients and provided shelter for cold nights and protection from disease-carrying mosquitoes.
In this world, having employment may not be enough to keep body and soul together and having an illness throws you on the mercy of others. Here are some examples of those helped this year.
Khadija is a lady who has three children, one boy and two girls who are deaf. Her husband is a watchman who earns 15,000 Djiboutian Francs ($83) per month.
She told us, “My husband’s salary is not enough for us. Each month I spend 5,000 df ($27) on milk for my children, and 3,000 ($17) on bus fares for my husband to get to work. That leaves 7,000 df ($38) which is not enough for us to survive the whole month. The rice helps us a lot, because I cannot buy vegetables and meat every day, so when I have rice I can cook it for lunch and for the dinner.”
Hassan and his wife and six children live in a dry wadi in a major city. Last fall it rained and the wadi filled with water, washing all their belongings away. Hassan also lives with TB and is under treatment.
He received a tent, built it up on makeshift stilts and now houses his family there. His family also received rice, which helps feed their family, as his wife does not make enough selling snacks on the street to feed and send her children to school. His wife sells little snacks on the street, making enough money for some of her children to have transport money to go to school.
