Water and light bring hope to a town under siege

Hudur is a town under siege. For the last seven years, the main supply routes to and from this provincial capital in south-west Somalia have been blocked and controlled by Al Shabaab. Food and other commodities have had to be transported by donkey carts. And in the last two months, the situation has got even worse.

Deliveries can be airlifted in, but this means high transportation costs – out of reach for most consumers. As a result, goods are becoming more scarce and prices are rising.

Water shortages are also a growing problem. Rainfall harvesting is an important source of fresh water for the residents of Hudur. But the Gu rains – Somalia’s annual rainfall – have been below average in recent years. As a result, the ponds and shallow wells have started to dry up. Crop yields have been low and livestock have suffered.

According to local reports, almost 30,000 people have fled their homes in the area in recent months, mainly from the outskirts of Hudur town. They were unable to take their belongings and travelled on foot or by donkey. Many were older people, children, pregnant women, or people with disabilities.

Currently, there are 20 active displacement sites in the area, hosting 9,263 families – some 55,578 individuals. Three new sites have appeared since April this year alone. Some 21,300 people are expected to require urgent humanitarian assistance in Hudur during the period July to September 2021.

Hit and run attacks on the town take place frequently during the night, and humanitarian agencies have limited presence in the area.

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Hudur is a town in the south western Bakool region of Somalia. It serves as the province’s capital and is the center of Hudur town. The main supply routes to and from Hudur town are blocked and are controlled by Al Shabaab. For the last seven years, food and other commodities were transported only by donkey carts but in the last two months, the situation was getting worse.

All roads leading to the main towns of Baidoa, Mogadishu and Beletweyne remain blocked, and no goods are allowed into the Hudur town. The Means of transport available to traders and consumers is airlift resulting in high transportation costs, which further adds the cost of goods to the consumers. The scenario contributed to scarcity and high commodity prices. Rainfall harvesting is a significant source of freshwater to Hudur residents: as such, below average GU rains leading to low crop yields and drying up of (Warcadey and shallow wells), means the situation is fast deteriorating.

According to local authorities and PRMN reports, an estimated population of 4,950 households, comprising 29,700 individuals, are confirmed to have fled their homes mainly from the peripheries of Hudur town. The displaced households were unable to take their belongings and essential household assets. A significant portion of the affected populations were older people, children, pregnant and lactating women, and persons with disabilities, observed mainly arriving on foot or by donkey.
Currently, there are 20 active IDP sites hosting 9,263 households or 55,578 individuals. Compared to the last site verification conducted in April 2021, there was an increase of 3 IDP sites, 4,950 Households or 29,700 individuals. The projected number of people expected to face crisis of (IPC Phase 3 or higher) and would require urgent humanitarian assistance in Hudur for the period July to September 2021 is 21,300.

Hudur town, is under complete siege. The supply routes to and from Hudur town which are blocked and are controlled by Al Shabaab. Food and other commodities are transported by only air which further escalated the price of the commodities to the consumers. Hit and run attacks to the town mainly during night hours, occur and the residents were observing a rehearsal of a big AS attack to the town. For two consecutive years, the livestock and agricultural productivities has been below normal in many parts of Bakool region due to poor rangeland conditions and below-average rainfall, leading to low income from livestock sales and limited household availability of livestock products and local cereal stock.

Most rangeland areas have received below-average rainfall amounts during the last Gu season. The current dry conditions are expected to aggravate the already poor malnutrition status within the Hudur district of Bakool region. There is persistent food insecurity among IDPs and vulnerable host communities in Hudur district with limited operational presence of humanitarian agencies in the area.

A quick solution was needed to respond to this desperate situation, so in 2020, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) implemented the project “Integrated protection response to vulnerable and displaced populations in Hudur district.” This was funded by the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF), and involved in both WASH and protection activities. The WASH facilities has made a huge impact and provided free and safe drinking water to over 13,500 individuals.
Muslimo Abdi Ibrahim, and her family of nine children (3 boys and 6 girls) have been living in Dondardid IDP camp since fleeing from their village in the rural areas outside Hudur. Due to the lack of sufficient water, to save water for only cooking and drinking, Muslimo said that they had to limit the bathing times. They used to take bath only two times a week.
She also said that water was very important for themselves and they needed water more than anything else in their life. Thanks to NRC’s immediate response, Muslimo and the other vulnerable IDP communities in Dondardid camp are no longer to worry about water. They can now access water effortlessly.
“We have free and safe drinking water in our doorstep. I can comfortably fetch enough water. My family can use water for drinking, cooking, washing clothes and bathing. Nothing to worry about at the moment,” she said.

Seven years down the line, since the siege, the communities in Hudur district could not walk the streets at night due to darkness and fear. All business along the main and small streets in the town closed at 5:00 pm in the afternoon. No movement. No social-gathering at all, and the residents locked themselves up in their homes.

“After the sunset, everyone goes home. People could not walk anywhere in the town specially women because of fear. Everything can happen under the cover of darkness, so we remained home,” says Habiba Ali Borow, a local resident in Hudur district.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) rehabilitated thirty-two solar streetlights in one of the main streets in Hudur district. This was part of NRC’s integrated project funded by the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF). Life for local residents changed since the rehabilitation of the solar streetlights. They are now doing business and socializing on the streets after sunset.

“After years of fear, and being in darkness – the main street has been illuminated. The darkness is over now. When the lights started working. We felt like we get out of a prison, we can walk freely at night to shop or visit friends, relatives and neighbours without any fear,” she said.

Ruqiyo Ibrahim, a mother of seven, and the owner of sells milk along the main street, has seen her small business doubled since the solar streetlights were rehabilitated. Business along the main street including shops, restaurants and small business can now stay open at night as long as there are people who want to shop. It’s a huge blessing to have the solar streetlights and the lighting scheme provided opportunity to all the people.”

“Young people are enjoying tea in outdoor tea-shops because of the solar streetlights. Children are also playing football along the side of the main street, and we thank NRC and SHF for that” said Ruqiyo.

Text: Abdulkadir/NRC
Photo: Abdulkadir/NRC — New arrivals in one of Hudur's displacement camps. Photo: Abdulkadir/NRC

The situation was becoming desperate and rapid solutions were needed. So, in 2020, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) implemented a project to provide both clean water and solar-powered streetlighting to the struggling community. The project, called “Integrated protection response to vulnerable and displaced populations in Hudur district”, was funded by the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF).

Safe drinking water on the doorstep

As part of the project, we rehabilitated a well and water tank, and installed new water points in the displacement camps, providing free and safe drinking water to over 13,500 individuals.

Muslimo Abdi Ibrahim and her family of nine children had been living in the Dondardid camp since fleeing their home village outside Hudur. Due to the lack of water, they were only able to wash properly twice a week, in order to save water for cooking and drinking.

Muslimo told us that her family needed water more than anything else in their life. Now, thanks to the new water point, she and the other vulnerable families in Dondardid camp can access water easily.

“We have free and safe drinking water in our doorstep. I can comfortably fetch enough water. My family can use water for drinking, cooking, washing clothes and bathing. Nothing to worry about at the moment,” she said.

“The darkness is over now”

During the seven long years of siege, the communities of Hudur district have been afraid to walk the streets at night because of the lack of streetlighting. All the businesses in the town closed at 5.00 pm in the afternoon. There was no social gathering after dark, and the residents locked themselves up in their homes.

“After sunset, everyone goes home. People could not walk anywhere in the town, especially women, because of fear. Anything can happen under the cover of darkness, so we stayed home,” says Habiba Ali Borow, a local resident.

As part of our project, we rehabilitated 32 solar streetlights in one of Hudur’s main streets. Life for the residents was transformed. They are now doing business and socialising on the streets after sunset.

“After years of fear and darkness, the main street has been illuminated. The darkness is over now. When the lights started working, we felt like we had got out of prison. We can walk freely at night to shop or visit friends, relatives and neighbours without any fear,” Habiba told us.

Ruqiyo Ibrahim, a mother of seven who sells milk along Hudur’s main street, has seen her business double since the streetlights were installed. Shops, restaurants and other businesses can now stay open at night for as long as there are people who want to shop.

“Young people are enjoying tea in outdoor tea-shops because of the solar streetlights,” she says. “Children are also playing football along the side of the main street, and we thank NRC and SHF for that.”