(ERGO) – Hundreds of families have been displaced from remote parts of northern Somalia in an offensive led by the Puntland forces to eliminate terrorist Islamic State fighters entrenched in the state.

The displaced families have been arriving in villages in Bari region, where they are struggling to cope as they have lost their sources of income and do not have relatives to help them.

Mohamed Abshir Omar’s family of 21 people were displaced from Balliga in Bari region’s Qandala in January.

Mohamed said they fled unprepared with few belongings after hearing the Puntland government’s warnings of pending attacks and instructions to people to evacuate.

They travelled for more than 100 kilometres over mountainous terrain on foot for 10 days with their camels and goats, as he couldn’t afford to pay for a vehicle to transport them. He lost 22 goats that died along the way of hunger and exhaustion.

They came to Barookhle village, a dryland area in Armo district, where they lack food and find themselves in an unprecedented phase of hardship.

“We are in non-residential areas. There is war and drought, animals are dying, there is no water, no place to run, and no food. We approached kind people one by one, calling those we know for help, but even when they saw our situation, they didn’t answer our calls,” Mohamed told Radio Ergo.

Mohamed said that Barookhle village is unfamiliar to them and the residents do not know his family. This has made it hard for him to be trusted with credit in local shops. They are camping out without adequate shelter.

“If we come empty-handed and homeless, what can protect us? We took shelter under trees in the cold. We left our houses behind. If camels are too weak to carry our belongings, what would have helped us transport them? At night, we light fires to shield ourselves from the wind and cold,” he explained.

Due to poor grazing, lack of water, and difficulties adapting to their new environment, 13 more goats have died in the last two weeks in Barookhle. The remaining animals will continue to die due to lack of pasture.

“A 10-day trip on foot had a significant impact on the goats, as they lacked the strength to endure it. The area we moved from offered better pasture compared to where we are now,” Mohamed said.

Before the displacement, Mohamed had lived all his years in rural parts of Qandala and enjoyed a stable life, relying on the harvest of frankincense to sell once a year making $1,500 to $2,000. Additionally, he sold goats to livestock-exporting companies visiting the area annually.

Last June he purchased 30 goats for $70 each to expand his herd of 80 goats. Now he has lost his investment and his herd has been greatly depleted by the displacement and drought.

Four of his children who were attending primary and secondary school in their village of Balliga are now out of education. Previously, he paid $24 monthly for their combined school fees. There is a school in Barookhle, but he has no money to enroll his children there.

Mohamed said he was uncertain how they could recover from this crisis.

The war against Islamic State, which has involved airstrikes carried out by the United States and United Arab Emirates in support of Puntland, has affected pastoralists, traders, and impoverished residents in areas including Turmasale, Jaceel, Balliga, Dhirin, and Qurac.

Widow and mother of 12, Asli Mohamed Ismail, also arrived in Barookhle, after fleeing late last year from Jaceel village in Isku-shuban district, in the Cal Miskad mountains.

Airstrikes this month targeted certain villages in this mountain range where ISIS fighters had operational bases.

Asli used to support her children by selling food items, earning between $5-7 daily, which was enough for three meals. Now she can only afford to make one meal a day, relying on food borrowed from a local shop where she knows the owner.

“The hardships we are facing are because we moved away from familiar areas. Leaving your property makes you a victim. We have no water well, no farm, nothing. We need everything and yet we must beg for it,” Asli said.

Her family brought 25 goats, travelling in a truck that charged $200 per family. Ten animals died in the truck along the way due to overcrowding. Three more goats have more died recently whilst she has been in Barookhle, leaving her with 12 weak animals that cannot provide milk or meat.

Asli and her children are living in a single room partly made of corrugated iron and partly covered with plastic and cloth. She received it from local people but emphasised how difficult it was for all of them living there without amenities.

Local residents assist her with two buckets of water a day, which doesn’t go far with 12 children. Pooling resources for a 30-gallon tank costs $18, which she cannot afford.

“We were prosperous in our area, but it’s a question of a place you know versus one you don’t. Here, you’re a guest and can’t rely on others for dinner. Now everything comes at a cost, and no one extends credit,” she lamented.

Although she is far from home, Asli is constantly reminded to pay back the $800 in debts she owes to people in Jaceel that she used to buy food and water for her family during last year.

Six of her children, including three boys in their final year of high school, are out of school now and she worries that their education will suffer irreparably. She said she hopes to return home as soon as this war is over as she cannot sustain her children without immediate assistance.

The commissioner of Barookhle, Ali Aduur Nuux, told Radio Ergo that the displaced families are relying heavily on local communities, who themselves lack sufficient resources to offer substantial help.

“We have a plan to monitor those struggling most severely. We distribute water or food where possible. Beyond that, there’s little we can do. Everyone here has been given space to settle if they can gather materials to build shelters, but many lack water, supplies, and resources to construct homes,” the commissioner said.

He said that the last arrivals came to Barookhle on 24 January and while no new displacements had occurred recently, existing families still lacked basic services and needed assistance.

Source: Radio Ergo