The worst drought in Xidhinta
Amina is 90 years old, she has survived 12 droughts in her life, but she says the current situation in Xidhinta, and in all of Somaliland, is the worst she has ever experienced.
"The situation was better in the past. Now the world is ending."
Overall, the drought hit Xidhinta hard. Community members say there is not enough water and they can no longer farm. Cows are sick, so they are not able to herd and milk them as a consistent means of income. Fuel has also become very expensive.
"It's not just us who have this problem, but also other people. In my case, some water is still in my burked (well). It is usually emptied completely, but now the people who used the water are no longer here, they are looking for it elsewhere. Now we don't have enough food as before. We are starving."
Amina told us that when she was younger, the land was not worked because the pastures and trees were thriving. Now, many guard their livestock or restrict other people's access to their farms, because resources to live are scarce. Now you can't go to lands you don't own. "In the past, the land was shared and prosperous, but now people do not go beyond their land with their livestock; they hoe on their farms and do not allow anyone else to enter. During the winter, animals graze while it rains. People don't sit together and every man goes his own way."
Amina adds: "But now you can see the presence of humanitarian organizations that collaborate with a government that finally works. Humanitarian organizations come to save us and we can't wait for them to intervene."
We at ActionAid are working with local partners to provide food aid and water to the most affected population, with a focus on the safety and rights of women and girls.
Photocredit: Daniel Jukes