More than 60 families forced to flee conflict in Erigabo over a year ago remain stranded in desperation after walking extensive distances south through Sanag region and into Sool region seeking safety and assistance.

Having left their homes and businesses in Erigabo at the end of 2024, they initially sought refuge near Damala-Hagare in Sanag, but the absence of support and harsh living conditions compelled them to relocate once more.

The families journeyed south nearly 100 kilometers to the outskirts of Taleh in Sool, where they established themselves in Daawad camp – a barren landscape where they face even greater hardship, lacking adequate water, food, and shelter.

Saynab Ahmed Farah, a mother of 10, reports that she moves through the neighborhoods of Taleh town begging for food from residents to provide her children with at least one meal daily.

“We only light the fire once a day, and it’s insufficient. We cannot find anything to cook a second or third time. We are compelled to endure with whatever minimal provisions we obtain,” she explained.

Saynab’s elderly husband is unable to work, placing the heavy responsibility of supporting the household entirely on her. Each day, she walks four kilometers to Taleh in search of cleaning or portering employment, or food handouts. However, jobs are scarce, and as a newcomer, she lacks the social connections necessary to secure work.

The lengthy walks in the heat are exhausting, and the family survives on just one jerrycan of water daily, which she often must request from a privately owned borehole nearby.

“When they refuse, we remain thirsty because we have no alternative,” Saynab stated, noting that she cannot afford $0.60 per jerrycan.

The conflict in Erigabo deprived her children of their education. Five were enrolled in school before the violence erupted, but they have now been out of the classroom for 18 months. When she inquired about schools in Taleh, she was informed the fees were $15 per child.

She owes approximately $700 to shops owned by her husband’s relatives, where the family obtained food on credit after arriving in Daawad.

In Erigabo, she operated her own small business selling charcoal and food, which supported her family. She estimated losing $430 in inventory. They now live under circumstances she had never imagined they would have to accept.

“We are living in an old makeshift shelter that cannot protect us from either the heat or the cold. It is overcrowded and not sufficiently large for us. Since we have no other option for shelter and cannot afford house rent in town, we remain there. To date, we have not received any proper shelter,” she said.

Anab Ahmed Ali, a 56-year-old mother of nine, is also experiencing the most severe hardship of her life in Daawad camp. She and her family walked for two days and nights to reach the outskirts of Taleh, almost 100 kilometers from where they had been staying in Sanag.

She weeps when considering her small shop back home selling tea and cooked food that previously supported her family. She estimates her financial loss at $325.

“Our previous life was better than our current situation. We cannot return to our town [Erigabo] because the security and political circumstances remain unstable. We are living in extremely difficult conditions, with water shortages, inadequate shelter, and no educational opportunities,” she said.

With her husband unable to find manual labor, the family must survive on credit. Anab has accumulated $300 in debt purchasing basic food and water.

“Water shortage and thirst are unbearable and represent the most challenging aspect for our family. A barrel of water costs six dollars, which we cannot afford. Sometimes we obtain it on credit. When we cannot acquire it, we are forced to remain thirsty,” Anab explained.

They reside in a cramped shelter constructed from old iron sheets and wooden boards. The structure is too small for a family of nine and offers no protection from the elements.

Four of her children, who were attending Koranic school in Erigabo for $20 monthly, are now out of school.

With no educational or healthcare facilities in Daawad camp, Anab mentions that her children frequently inquire when they can return to school.

The future remains uncertain – they cannot return home, yet surviving in this camp without any basic services and accumulating debts for food and water is not sustainable.

The chairperson of Daawad camp, Saleban Muse Duale, noted that the camp lacked even the most basic infrastructure and that residents had not received any aid or assistance.

“They are facing difficulties with food and water, and they also lack proper shelter. They cannot afford to build shelters because they are people displaced from their land. The camp has no healthcare facility and no educational centers. The children are completely out of school,” Saleban informed Radio Ergo’s local reporter.