By: Latifa Yusuf Masai
BURAO (Somalilandsun) – Administrators of Godaweine district in Sahil region have termed drought induced hardships as enormous thence worthy of intervention.
“In the last six months alone residents have lost a large number of livestock” informed the Godaweine local government clerk (Secretary) Mr. Deeq Abdi Warsame during an interview with hadhwanaagnews in Burao the Toghdeer regional capital.
Stating that the last six months have been the fircest of the prolonged drought in the district located in the east of Somaliland the clerk said that the livelihoods’ of residents was at stake thus calling for outside assistance.
“I appeal to the government, humanitarian services provision agencies and affluent individuals to urgently help alleviate the precarious situation in Godaweine district through relief donations” said the administrator.
Informing that he was optimistic of urgent action from all quarters the Council Clerk revealed that past appeals from his district and those nieghbouring have gone unheeded.
Stressing that urgency was imperative Mr. Deeq Abdi said that a just concluded inspection tour by a team led by the mayor and including elders and civil servants observed several former livestock traders reduced to destitution.
In the area that saw the ministry of livestock development immunize over 70,000 heads of goats and sheeps recently the malady of formerly affluent traders induced to penury by drought is also exacerbated by un-market worthy stocks afflicted with diverse diseases.
In conclusion the Godaweine district secretary Deeq Abdi Warsame urged the ministry of Resettlement to visit the area for an assessment of the numerous families that are now internally displaced as a result of the protracted drought which has completely wipe-out their livestock, the local livelihood mainstay.
While rains are being reported in various parts of the country areas like Godaweine which have borne brunt of prolonged droughts and lost considerably in terms of self-sufficiency require attention for it will take time to recover from the devastation caused to livestock and agriculture produce