By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The GUURTI house of elders have commiserated with drought affected residents of Awdal and Salal regions.
At a session held in the Guurti which is the upper house of Somaliland’s parliament the elders appealed for urgent drought relief for residents of the two districts within Awdal and Salal regions that have had four years of drought.
In the discussions that were chaired by the Guurti’s 2nd chair Hon Saeed Jama Ali, the elders who also touched on security in the country’s eastern regions asked the government as well as international agencies operating in the country to provide drought relief urgently to the people of Lughaya and Gargaara districts.
The Elders who concurred that the two areas are hardest hit other areas of the country have been encountering similar drought though not to the magnitude and length as in Lughaya and Gargaara districts in Salal region thus the imperative need for a national drought relief action.
The house of Guurti further touched on prevalent security status in some eastern regions of the country especially Sool that have seen tag of wars between the national army and rebel tribal militias who are aligned to the Khatuumo secessionists.
The Elders further concurred that despite the minor armed hic-ups that occur in Buhodle and Tukaraq areas of Sool region, co-existence runs supreme in Sanaag following successful reconciliations of warring clans.
As per international relations, the elders asked Somalilanders to be united at this precarious hour when the country enters into negotiations with Somalia in the UK.
The Somaliland house of Guurti which equivalent to the British House of Lords, is composed of elders representing all the clans of Somaliland. The main function of the Guurti which is the upper house of parliament is mostly reconciliation as well as counter checking activities of the House of Representatives.
In a similar act recently Traditional leaders from Awdal and Salal regions have appealed for drought relief aid.
The traditional leaders from the two western regions of Somaliland who met in Borame town, appealed for immediate drought relief as well as urgent medical intervention for the people of the two districts of Lughaya and Gargaara where the effects of prolonged drought have reached the zenith.
According to Sultan Ibrahim Jama Samar the affected residents are not only suffering from the effects of the prolonged drought but are encountering various health problems.
Said he, “We ask the health ministry to immediately dispatch a team to the two areas thus end the diseases like diarrhea afflicting residents who are already weakened by the drought”
The sultan asked that a technical committee to explore and implement mechanisms to alleviate suffering in the residents be appointed with the mandate to knock on each and every door both in the country and abroad.
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