Over two decades of conflict have left 1.1 million Somalis displaced in their own country, and almost a million as refugees in neighbouring countries. High food prices, combined with frequent droughts and floods have compounded poverty and continue to threaten livelihoods. ‘Reliefweb’.
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE SCARCITY OF FOOD, WATER, AND DROUGHT IN SOMALIA
* • Non-functional or less powerful government (Federal and States), which are not capable or in position to tackle major causes of the drought and other natural and man-made problems
* • Climate change and global warming
* • Bad security and instability in the country
* • Social conflicts and wars
* • Less rain due to deforestation, climate change, and global warming
* • Deforestation, overgrazing and destruction of trees for charcoal production, firewood, and construction materials
* • Lack of community participation
* • Subsistence farming due to lack of resources (Small land, less manpower, old method of farming, no equipment)
* • Insect infestation, such as; locusts and bird crop eating are very common in Somalia
* • Farmers leaving their villages/farms seeking green or better life
* • Excess water demands in urban and rural areas
* • Lack of social infrastructure and modern agricultural equipment
* • Primitive method of farming and animal husbandry
* • Human, plant, and animal diseases without treatment
* • Bad storage of the crops/underground storage
* • Farmers not growing sorghum, maize, beans, instead they grow sesame, and fruits
* • Floods in river Shabeele and during torrential rains
* • No system of water of distribution at rivers
* • No flood protection facilities at the rivers and storms
* • Scarcity of water reservoirs/old water pools/no wells and capacity of water catchments decreases due to silt/soil deposition, excessive heat, and infiltration
* • No effective range management in the country
* • No storage of forage and ration for livestock
* • Road blockages and bad communication system
* • Double taxation from Government and Al-shabaab discourages farmers to cultivate
* • Soil degradation, over-cultivated lands resulted in low production
* • No research centres for agriculture and livestock
* • International Orgs and local NGOs encouraging farmers to leave their farms/villages
* • Internal displaced people (IDP) camps become an income generating project for greedy people
* • Farming depending on rain/No alternative methods of irrigation
* • Non-qualified agricultural directors or authorities
* • Lack of input from intellectuals (Agronomists/Animal husbandries and veterinaries)
* • No network for farmers
* • No repatriation programs for Internal Displaced People
* • Illegal occupation of farming lands by people with less farming experience
FISHING Primitive method of fishing. Lack of modern equipment (Boats, fishing catching facilities, cold room) . Lack of fish marke.t Road blockages. Illegal fishing. Fish meat and sea food not familiar with Somali people Lack of government and international support/input No rules and regulations for fishing Marine pollution
Prepared by: Awes Amin Melbourne, Australia
