Somalilandsun-The worst drought in 60 years is ravaging Somaliland and Somalia as well as the entire East African region.
The Drought that threatens to create famine Somaliland and Somalia killing livestock and robbing communities of their livelihood. Famine has not yet come, but it is stalking. If no rain falls and yet more crops fail it is only a matter of time.
So why should the Welsh be concerned by what is happening in Somaliland thousands of miles away from Wales where where the rain falls all too often.
According to Abbie Wightwick of Walesonline who was prompted to report on the devastating drought drought in Somaliland by fellow Welshman of Hargeisa origin Eid Ali Ahmed the answer is simple and two pronged
“ Apart from the fact that Somaliland, an unrecognised, but peaceful, country neighbouring Somalia has historic ties with Wales going back more than 100 years, the cause of the drought appears to be climate change – an issue that is coming for us all, unless we take greater steps to address it”
Cardiff home to a large number of Somalis is among a few local councils to recognize Somaliland which broke away from Somalia in 1991 but remains internationally unrecognized as a sovereign nation.
Some of the Somali community in Wales are descendants of Somali sailors who settled in the 19th century while others came in the 1980s and 1990s fleeing civil war.
Because of these connections the Welsh-Somali community in Cardiff is well aware of the looming disaster and drought. But much of the wider world is not aware, and “This is what drought in East Africa has to do with Wales”
