For two consecutive years, we have lived under the grip of a land that has forgotten the touch of rain. Here, drought is not merely a headline, it is a harsh reality we witness every day, shaping every aspect of life for us and our communities.
On the ground, I witnessed how drought devastates everything in its path, sparing nothing. The carcasses of livestock line the roads—silent testimony to livelihoods that have vanished. Exhausted families trek grueling distances, sometimes exceeding 200 kilometers, in a desperate search for a drop of water or a place of safety to shield them from the harshness of thirst and hunger.
What weighs most heavily on the heart is the condition of children, women, and the elderly. Hunger has etched its harsh lines into their faces, and frailty has become the language of their bodies. Some told me they survive on just one meal a day; at times, days pass without sufficient food. Yet even in this landscape of despair, the light in their eyes has not entirely faded—a faint hope remains, waiting to be rekindled.
That hope became visible with the arrival of Qatar Charity’s relief convoys. Faces softened, hands were raised in prayer, and it was clear that people saw this assistance not merely as food and water, but as a final lifeline—helping them endure as they await Allah’s relief and the longawaited return of rain. These moments, as painful as they are, are what compel us to continue, no matter how severe the conditions or how great the challenges are.
In my role as a Field Assistant in Baidoa, one of the main cities hosting large numbers of displaced people in the South West State of Somalia, I entered camps filled with stories of loss and displacement. I met families who had fled from various areas across the Bay and Bakool regions after losing their livestock, their crops, and with them, their entire means of livelihood. Some had walked more than 450 kilometers under a scorching sun, with nothing but exhaustion and hope to carry them forward.
Water here is no longer just a daily necessity; it is a relentless struggle for survival. Most wells have dried up, while those that remain have dropped to alarming levels, making access to safe drinking water extremely difficult. This reality has deepened suffering and reinforced a sense of helplessness, particularly in the absence of viable alternatives and amid the severity of the crisis.
These scenes never leave the memory. They are not mere statistics in reports—they are lives waiting for a helping hand. They remind us, as humanitarian field workers, that our work is not a choice, but a profound moral responsibility. Behind every tent is a human story, and behind every silent gaze lies an unspoken prayer—felt deeply in the heart long before it is heard.
Field Observations Recorded by:
Ismail Hassan Handulle, Relief Projects Coordinator
Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed, Field Assistant
Qatar Charity– Somalia Branch
