The camp, a sprawling maze of makeshift shelters built from scraps of wood and torn metal sheets, is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by Somalia’s internally displaced population.

As of May 2023, an estimated 75,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) were living in Garowe, the capital of Puntland. This marked a significant increase compared to the previous year, according to the United Nations.

The majority of the IDPs originate from southern and central Somalia, having been displaced primarily by drought and conflict.

Puntland remains relatively more peaceful compared to southern Somalia, making it a preferred destination for those seeking safety.

For the residents of Shabelle, every day is a struggle for basic necessities—food, water, and shelter.

Education, often seen as a beacon of hope for the future, remains an unattainable dream for the camp’s children.

During the day, boys roam the dusty streets of the camp, their laughter echoing as they play with old, discarded car tires.

Girls, on the other hand, are burdened with fetching water, carrying heavy jerrycans on their backs under the scorching sun.

There are no classrooms here, no teachers, no books.

For the hundreds of children living in Shabelle, school is not just out of reach; it is nonexistent.

Faadumo Halane, a resilient mother of 11 children, has been living in the Shabelle camp for eight years.

Before settling here, she spent 11 years in another displacement camp, which, like Shabelle, lacked any educational facilities.

Despite her efforts to provide for her children, Faadumo finds herself helpless when it comes to their education.

“I have been living here for eight years. We have no school,” Faadumo said, her voice tinged with frustration and sadness. “I came from another camp where I lived for 11 years, and there was no school there either.”

Six of Faadumo’s children are of school-going age, but none of them have ever set foot in a classroom.

Instead, they spend their days helping their mother or wandering the camp’s dusty pathways.

Faadumo, like many parents in the camp, dreams of a better future for her children—a future where they can read, write, and break free from the cycle of poverty that binds them.

Sitting in the open sun outside her makeshift home, Faadumo tends to a steaming pot over a charcoal fire.

The aroma of the simple meal wafts through the air as her youngest son stands by her side, eagerly waiting.

Her weathered face reflects years of hardship, but her determination remains unshaken.

“We are requesting that a school be built in the camp,” she said, pausing to stir the pot. “Our children deserve a chance at a better life. Without education, they have no future.”

Irsho Omar Kaani, another mother living in the camp, echoed Faadumo’s sentiments.

She explained that while schools exist in Garowe, the fees make them inaccessible to displaced families like hers.

“We have lost the financial ability to send our children to school,” Irsho said. “We can’t afford it. We need support to educate our children.”

The absence of education in the camp has broader implications for the community.

Mohamed Abdirahman, a teacher at a school in Garowe, highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by uneducated children.

“Children who don’t attend school are more susceptible to criminal activities,” Mohamed explained. “Education shapes children and sets them on the right path.”

Habib Abdullahi Isse, a human rights lawyer, emphasized the collective responsibility to address this crisis.

“Education is a constitutional right and a shared responsibility,” he said. “It is also the government’s duty to provide education to displaced children who are part of our community. It is their right.”

The head of the Shabelle camp, Aadan Adde, believes that establishing a school within the camp would transform the lives of its residents.

“The main challenge is that education in the city is fee-based,” Aadan said. “If a school were set up within the camp, the children would attend.”

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Daahir Khalif Saciid, head of the education department for the Nugaal region administration, outlined plans to address the educational gap.

“We will conduct awareness campaigns, along with the regional administration and local government, to reach children who are not receiving education,” Daahir said. “Our goal is to create opportunities for every child, regardless of their circumstances.”

The residents of Shabelle camp continue to hope for change. For mothers like Faadumo and Irsho, a school in the camp would be more than just a building; it would be a lifeline, a chance to secure a brighter future for their children. Until then, the dusty streets and makeshift homes of Shabelle remain a stark testament to the unfulfilled potential of countless young lives.

The post Forgotten Futures: Hundreds of IDP Children Out of School in Garowe’s Shabelle Camp appeared first on Kaab TV.

Despite this, there are internal efforts aimed at providing relief to those in need.

So, what role can Somali women play in addressing this crisis?

In today’s Kaab TV podcast, we speak with Safiya Mohamed, the secretary of Somali Health Professionals—a group of local women voluntarily working to provide lifesaving support to women and children in several IDPs within and outside Mogadishu.

We explore the crucial role Somali women are playing in addressing this crisis and their impact on vulnerable communities.

The post Kaab TV Podcast: Women’s Role in Somalia Humanitarian Crisis appeared first on Kaab TV.

However, recurrent droughts caused by climate change and the subsequent seizure of Al-Shabaab by the rural villages forced Sahro and her children to flee to an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Baidoa, the interim capital of South West State.

Today, this camp is their home.

Climate change, which has devastated farmlands and led to massive livestock losses, has hit rural families hardest—especially women with children.

These challenges have plunged many into extreme poverty and hardship.

As the sole provider for her family, Sahro has taken on unconventional work for women in Somalia, such as construction labor, to make ends meet.

“When people arrive at IDP camps, they face a harsh reality,” Sahro says. “There’s no consistent aid, and most of us have to find daily jobs in the city just to feed our families.”

Each morning, Sahro heads to a construction site, where she carries heavy stones and cement.

Her hard day’s labor earns her a small wage of upto three dollars, which she uses to buy food for her children. In the evening, she returns to her makeshift shelter in the camp, where her children wait eagerly for her to prepare a meal from her earnings.

A Nation in Crisis

According to the United Nations, nearly four million people are internally displaced in Somalia as of 2024, driven by conflict, insecurity, drought, and floods.

Regions like Baay, Bakool, and the Shabelle River valleys—once the breadbasket of Somalia—now face widespread hunger due to environmental degradation.

For families like Sahro’s, displacement is not just a temporary hardship but an ongoing struggle to survive in camps that lack basic services such as healthcare and education.

The temporary nature of these camps exposes women and children to heightened risks, and the hope of returning home remains dim as conflicts continue and climate change worsens.

Sahro reflects on her life before displacement, unaware at the time of the environmental toll caused by charcoal production—a practice that contributed to the deforestation and environmental degradation now devastating her community.

The destruction of her environment led to the death of her livestock, forcing her and her children into displacement.

For Sahro and countless others, survival now depends on adapting to urban livelihoods while clinging to the hope of one day returning to their ancestral lands—a hope that grows fainter with each passing day.

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Reporting by Nurto Mohamed in Baidoa. This report is part of climate change coverage in Somalia by local journalists participating in a training program provided by the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) with support from Medico International.

The post Sahro Mohamed Ali: From Charcoal Burner to Construction Worker in Baidoa appeared first on Kaab TV.

The boy’s family, who live in a displaced persons camp, told Kaab TV that they were blocked from speaking to the media.

When Kaab TV reporters attempted to visit Mumin Camp in the Kaxda district, they were denied access, and the family was warned against speaking to journalists.

Our reporters were threatened with severe consequences if they persisted and subsequently left the area.

Habiba Isak Abkow, the boy’s mother, shared her harrowing experience.

She stated that she could not even afford milk for the black tea she was feeding her child. Severe malnutrition eventually claimed her son’s life.

A representative from the Kaxda district administration told Kaab TV that it is prohibited to conduct interviews or take photographs in the camp.

Despite these obstacles, we are now sharing this story to shed light on the dire conditions faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.

While such suffering continues, several lavish ceremonies have been held in Mogadishu over the past few weeks.

Three events were hosted by Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and the Ministry of Education.

Additionally, the Banadir Regional Administration organized an extravagant handover ceremony, spending thousands of dollars on unnecessary activities.

The Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), which has received aid from various donors, has not responded to our inquiries regarding this case.

The post Eight-Year-Old Boy Dies of Hunger in Mogadishu’s Kaxda District appeared first on Kaab TV.