Critical water and sanitation assistance in Somalia

Somalia | 2023 | CBPF

Somalia. Garaad Abdi Haji is a father of five living in the Nasteexo displacement camp. He and his family fled Ethiopia after the unprecedented drought that continues to devastate the region killed most of his animals and destroyed the farmland they depended on to survive. Like many, they had nothing left.

Living conditions in Nasteexo are not easy, and people don’t have money to spare. Mercy-USA, with support from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund, built several safe water points and improved sanitation facilities for better living standards.

“I have a hard time putting food on the table so providing more than that is beyond what I can do. This latrine has made a big difference to our daily life here in the camp. Before this, we had to go outside the camp, and it was risky to do this after dark, especially with small children,” says Garaad. “Now we don’t worry about leaving the camp at night. It’s something neither I nor my neighbours could have built ourselves.”

Accessible latrines are equally important for the elderly and people living with disabilities. Mohamed, 45, recently lost his mother. She was his sole caregiver and he now lives alone. “This latrine is installed to accommodate my needs,” he said. “I can shower on my own, and the chair is comfortable for me,” he explains.

The Somalia Humanitarian Fund has provided critical funding to several water and sanitation projects, to help people in crisis live safely and with dignity.

More about the Somalia Humanitarian Fund:

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