Among the most critical challenges facing the population is the near-total absence of government-run healthcare, leaving millions without access to medical treatment.

In makeshift camps like Barxad-weyn in Mogadishu’s Kaxda district, internally displaced people (IDPs) endure severe living conditions.

Widespread illness, food and water shortages, and lack of basic services plague these communities.

Many IDPs have lived for years with untreated, often life-threatening illnesses.

Amid this crisis, a group of Somali female health professionals has stepped in to fill the gap.

These trained volunteers, operating under the Somali Female Health Professionals Forum, have launched a grassroots medical initiative to offer free treatment and lifesaving surgeries to vulnerable patients who cannot afford hospital care.

The team regularly visits camps on the outskirts of Mogadishu to identify and assist those in need.

So far, they have coordinated over a dozen successful surgeries, mostly for patients suffering from tumors.

One such patient is Abdi Omar Nur—known locally as “Buraale” due to the large goiter that had protruded from his neck for 16 years.

The condition forced him to quit his job, severely impacting his livelihood.

After meeting the volunteers, Abdi was referred to a local hospital in Mogadishu, where he underwent successful surgery free of charge.

“I couldn’t sleep or work because of the lump on my neck,” said Abdi. “Alhamdulillah, I received surgery. Now I can move my neck freely again.”

Sahro Abdulle Ali, a mother of seven who had suffered for over a decade from a tumor in her upper arm known medically as lipoma.

Sahro, who lives in Xaawo Taako camp, had worked as a cleaner — a common daily job for many IDP women to earn a living — but she struggled due to her condition.

” After 12 years, now I feel that I can work again,” Sahro told Kaab TV.

She too received free surgery, thanks to the volunteers’ efforts.

“We are health volunteers,” said Fatima Ismail Warsame, chair of the Somali Women Health Professionals Council. “We collect reports on poor and displaced people in need of medical care. Then we appeal to hospitals and doctors. When approved, we help facilitate the treatment.”

Most of the volunteers are trained nurses and healthcare workers, operating across Mogadishu.

Their work has gained support from hospitals like Germany Hospital, whose Director General Dr. Hassan Omar Mursal said: “We don’t set strict conditions. If the patient qualifies medically and surgery is feasible, we proceed.”

Still, challenges remain. Not all patients can undergo surgery—especially the elderly or those with chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension.

Additionally, Somalia’s overwhelmed hospitals cannot meet the demand, and with the suspension of USAID funding to Somalia, aid shortages are worsening.

Today, an estimated 3.8 million people are internally displaced across Somalia, with limited or no access to healthcare. In the absence of a functioning public health system, the efforts of these volunteer health professionals offer a rare and vital lifeline.

The post Volunteer Health Workers Provide Lifesaving Care to Somalia’s Displaced Communities appeared first on Kaab TV.

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.