In September 2022, Qureysho Mohamed Dhore together with her family was forced to move from their home in Hawadley, Middle Shabelle region, Somalia, due to the combined effects of drought and conflict in search of food, water, and shelter. Qureysho and her family which includes her husband and children, lost 25 goats and 6 cows to drought and sold off their last two goats for $35 only. Their two-hectare farm has stood bare for two years due to the failed rains. Millions of families like that of Qureysho have suffered the loss of their livelihoods consequently forcing them to move to areas where they can access humanitarian assistance from local communities, the government, and humanitarian organizations. As a result, the number of internally displaced persons has been steadily increasing, highlighting the severity of the crisis.
Qureysho Mohamed Dhore cleans her children’s hands, preparing them for a family meal time.
On arrival in Mogadishu, they settled at Geri Go’an IDP camp in Deynille district. Life in the camp was challenging as Qureysho took up the responsibility of providing for her family since her husband was elderly and diabetic. At the camp, she tirelessly searched for jobs in Deynille and Hodan, where she mostly got laundry jobs, in order to earn some income. Despite her difficult circumstances, she managed to bring home a small amount of money, which she used to support her family.
In November 2022, Qureysho was among the 550 vulnerable drought affected households who received support through the multipurpose cash assistance program, implemented by Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD) with funding from Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) in the Deynille district. The project aimed at improving the food security for vulnerable populations affected by hunger and malnutrition by improving their purchasing power and access to markets to meet their immediate household needs. The project prioritized specific groups to benefit from the intervention, including pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, widows, people living with disabilities, female-headed households, households without alternative sources of income, and those with numerous dependent family members who were not able to contribute productively.
Every household received monthly cash transfers of $122 through mobile phones for a period of three months. These cash transfers played a vital role in improving the living conditions of the targeted households and provided them with the means to meet their basic needs. The unrestrictive nature of the cash transfers allowed the beneficiaries to utilize the funds according to their individual needs and preferences, increasing their flexibility.
Mama Qureysho utilized the first cash transfer to purchase her husband’s medication and enroll her children in Quranic school. She then allocated the remaining money to buy essential household items, primarily focusing on food. Expressing her gratitude, she remarked, “The cash has been truly helpful, my husband has medicine, and I was able to buy clothes for my children and provide them with food, milk, and other necessities, may God reward NAPAD.”
In the subsequent months, Mama Qureysho continued to use the money to buy household necessities for her family, ensure her children’s education, and cover healthcare expenses for both her children and husband.
Mama Qureysho is unsure about when they will be able to return to their home village, where she can cultivate crops on her farm and resume keeping livestock to efficiently provide for her family.