Giving hope to IDP evictees in Mogadishu through Emergency assistance

ACF through its ECHO funded programs in Mogadishu has taken lead in responding to the needs of the IDPs during this hard time by establishing a Rapid Response Team (RRT) in late 2012 to respond quickly and effectively to small emergencies and save lives in Mogadishu. The RRT’s mandate is rapid response to those impacted by disaster who have immediate needs and are beyond their ability to cope.  Its activity is limited, time-bound and preconceived by comprehensive guidance and SOPs, not unlike a local emergency response unit.  Its service delivery is largely in line with ACF and second responders (Food aid, NFI, Shelter, etc.).  The RRT exists solely to react in real time to emergencies, assess situations, and if appropriate execute a response aimed at the temporary alleviation of suffering within 5 calendar days of the occurrence of an event. So far, the RRT have provided emergency assistance 45,660 people (7610 HH)  mostly IDP evictees for the last one year with food and non-food items – shelter materials, kitchen kits, blankets/mats, hygiene and sanitation kits assistance to help them through the immediate period of displacement until more durable solutions are identified

Madow Abdi Mohamed (pictured) is an IDP mother aged 45 with Eight (8) children. She is one of the beneficiaries of ACFs emergency response in Mogadishu. Madow fled here Koryole home in Lower Shebelle during the 2010/2011 where her family has a small farm and some livestock. The drought claimed her livestock and the farm could no longer be productive. With no assistance from the community and other well-wishers Madow decided to move to Mogadishu leaving her husband behind.  Her husband died 3 years ago.  Madow has been living Buale IDP camp near the Mogashishu airport for the last two and half years with other older 300 IDP families. The camp is located on a defunct milk factory land in Hodan District.  With no employment and eight children to feed, and shelter, life was unbearable

On 22^nd March 2013 – (08:20 PM) by order Regional Court a group of me descended on the camp, started destroying shelters and all possessions of the IDPs stating the government wanted to repossess the land. That night her and her family slept on the roadside next to that destroyed camp. With her children and whatever possessions she could salvage, she joined other 246 IDPs families the next morning in walking 10km to Deynile in an open private land with no food, water, shelter.

Within 3 days of the occurrence of the evictions in Bualle Camp, ACF RRT assesses the needs of the 247 evictees and responded to assist as per the immediate needs identified through the assessment. Madow, her children and the rest of the evicted IDPs were provided with emergency assistance needs- Food, kitchen kits, shelter materials, hygiene kits and sleeping mats to save lives. This assistance was to ensure that Madow’s family and the rest of the evicted families suffering is reduced so that at least they can have a meal for a month and have immediate temporal shelter and sleeping materials to sustain life. They did not have the capacity and resources to meet these basic needs themselves after the forceful evictions where all their earthly possessions were destroyed. This helped the families to live and regain normality of life.

On behalf of the evicted families Mayow said-

‘’We thank ACF and partners for this great help in times of need. Although it might not fulfill all our needs in re-establishing ourselves, we will always remember and cherish this assistance. May God bless you’’