By M.A. Egge
The President H.E. Ahmed Mohammed Mohamud Silanyo left yesterday for the eastern parts of the country to personally to revitalize ongoing relief efforts and at the same time to evaluate the real impact and extent of the drought that is currently sweeping vastly the country-side.
It is the Head of State himself who first sounded the early sirens of the impending famine because of the drought that was biting deeply.
He then appealed for relief support by sending on SOS to both Somalilanders and the international community two months ago.
In fact the President have just renewed his call for relief aid for the second time in as many times on Thursday.
With a quarter of a million people in a grave situation which direly need immediate medical and emergency relief supplies, the plight of 1.5 million people are at stake in Sool, Sanaag, Togdeer and Saraar regions and parts of Sahil.
The President who was accompanied by the First Lady Amina Sheikh Mohamed has his delegation consisting of top government ministers and Kulmiye party officials left yesterday morning to the eastern parts of the country to verify facts and personally witness the sad reality he has tried so much to address.
According to Presidential spokesman Eng. Hussein Adam Egge some of the ministers amongst the entourage were Hon. Mohamoud Hashi, Hon. Abdillahi M. Dahir,Hon. Abdillahi M. Habane and Hon. Osman Sahardiid of respectively the Presidency, Livestock, Education and Information ministries.
KULMIYE flagbearer and party chairman Musa Bihi Abdi was also in the delegation together with, notably, former finance minister Abdiaziz Samaale.
As pertains to the drought, the regional governors for Togdeer and Sanaag gave an update of the impact of the drought, its extent and the efforts made so far to alleviate the plight of the people from the duress they undergo.
The both spoke to our sister paper Dawan on Friday through the telephone.
Said Mohammed Ibrahim Qabo of Togdeer, “There are places which are experiencing drought more severely than others such as Saraar”. The Administrator said that they, accompanied with Finance Minister Hon. Zamzam reached the southern parts of Saraar and distributed 1400 rations and 100 bowsers of water at Fardo-lagu-dooh.
He said that the worst scenario was the acute lack of water which has made the state put more emphasis on digging boreholes to provide water in a more stable manner.
RG Qabo said that the Oodanle borehole where a rig was sunk early this month has fortunately struck water and that those ongoing at Balidig and Bali-Isse are at advanced stages.
The administrator added that rig vehicles have been mobilized for Eel-Hime, QabriHulul and Eegag, after having got serviceably repaired.
He said that most people are complaining from stomachaches because of consumption of impure water. However, he said, amongst their delegation are medical personnel ready to deal with emergencies.
Similarly the Sanaag administrator Ahmed Abdi Faley said that his region was also undergoing the same experience.
The RG said that pastoralists have lost most of their livestock and that the situation was quite serious.
He said that foundations and agencies like Al-Hayaat, Candlelight and Care International have supplied the region with 50, 200 and 500 bowsers of water respectively and 55 received from the Kulmiye party.
He said that entrepreneurs like Oomar Company have provided food rations for 2000 families.
The President is expected to tour much of the affected areas.