Somalia, 20 December 2023 – “We sought shelter at the IDP camp as our homes were marooned and floods swept away our animals and crops. We lost everything, and many families are now displaced,” says Nur Abdulkadir, a father of three, at the Dhobley Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp.
With support from the Italian government, ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding and the military Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Kindu Gezu delivered relief items to representatives of Jubaland and South-West State administrations in separate events held in the state capitals of Dhobley and Baidoa.
“I thank the Jubaland administration and our partners, especially the Italian government, for enabling us to support populations affected by the recent floods. This gesture signifies our long-standing solidarity with the government and the people of Somalia, and we will continue to offer support whenever required,” stated Lt. Gen. Okiding.
ATMIS Sector Two Commander, Brig. William Kamoiro, who accompanied the Force Commander, mentioned that AU troops collaborated with the Jubaland administration and local communities to assist affected families and repair damaged infrastructure. KDF engineers have been deployed to drain the flooded Dhobley airstrip and open the Juba Valley transport corridor.
“The floods have hit us hard; this support is exactly what we needed to keep our families alive,” said Garane Abdi at the Barwaaqo IDP camp where he fled with his wife and four children for refuge.
Abdulkadir and Abdi are among thousands of families in Dhobley and Baidoa who received humanitarian support from the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS). While receiving the donation on behalf of the Jubaland administration, Dhobley District Commissioner Hassan Hashi thanked ATMIS for the support and emphasized the Federal Government’s commitment to relieving the suffering of those affected by the floods.
“In the wake of the El Nino floods, particularly in Dhobley, where heavy rains devastated many families, this support could not have come at a better time. We have received essential food supplies and non-food items, a timely initiative that has benefited over 2,000 households,” said the District Commissioner.
In Baidoa, the military Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Kindu Gezu recognized that cooperation between partners, government entities, and nongovernmental organizations is crucial to the collaboration with communities, “Where these sectors have proven that the military and civilian coordination is effective, it is essential to enhance further and strengthen the close cooperation,” he added.
The initiative, which targeted flood-hit families in Jowhar, Beletweyne, Baidoa, and Dhobley, is part of ATMIS Civil-Military cooperation to establish relations and respond to the immediate needs of communities.
Abdinasir Abdi Arush, South-West State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, and his Internal Security counterpart, Hassan Abdikadir Mohamed, applauded the Italian government for its support to vulnerable members of the society.