Hiiraan Online

Nakivale, Uganda (HOL). There were hundred of thousands of Somalis who sought refuge in neighboring countries since the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia in 1991, there are many who are internally displaced or what is known as (IDPs), and there are those in Refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. In this writing HOL visited a totally unheard of refugee camp in Uganda the Nakivale camp situated about 310 KM west of the Capital city of Kampala. Before we talk about the dire situation these Somali refugees are subjected to, let us first portray the appearance of camp and the number of people who call home to this camp.  The camp is comprised of shanty houses of which about 4000 Somali Refugees live along with other other refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Ugandan Government and UNHCR collaborated on the establishment of this camp in 1994, to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers, the camp in situated between six mountains and it is extremely hot during the day time and extremely cold during the night time. The physical appearance of these Somali refugee will tell you that they are suffering from a variety of complex diseases, the most common diseases that I was told is widespread among these refugees is malaria, there is water-borne diseases and typhus disease which is usually transmitted by fleas, lice or mites and is usually known as the camp fever. Many of these refugees suffer from what is known filariasis disability caused by filariasis worm, after doing some research we found out that their disability could also be what is known as non-filarial elephantiasis or podoconiosis, which generally occurs in the mountains of central Africa. Non-filarial elephantiasis is thought to be caused by persistent contact with volcanic ash.

Nuur Cismaan Cabdi

Their stories are heartbreaking and bring tears to your eyes, Khadija iidle is a Somali mother with three years old Abdalla farah, she told us when he was two years he was a healthy boy and could walk and all of a sudden one day he got the fever and now he is three years old and is disabled and can not walk, the doctors in the hospital told me there is nothing they can do to treat him but I never lose faith in god that one day he will start walking again.

While we were in the camp we also met AdarAhmed Diini who is bedridden with seven children she told us she lost her sight in 2004 and has difficult walking, she said we are refugees and I cannot even look after my kids I cannot help god forbid if my kids call me for help and she was in tears as she said these words. Their stories are all the same and very painful, fadumo Abdi Gedi is mother of eight and her husband passed away, she has difficult walking and arrived at the camp two years ago, she said her only hope is if she could get a country that sponsors her family to live peacefully after, she said those Somalis who are better off should help their sisters and brothers in this camp to quote her “we are the forgotten refugees”. Similarly, we spoke with farhia Mumin Muse who is a mother of six kids and cannot walk due to filarias or non-filarias disability, she told us she fled from Somalia after the civil war and hopes to return when security conditions are in place.

Ahmed Abdullahi told us he has tumor in the stomach, these are the stories from your Somali sisters and brothers.

Food and Water in the camp

The quantity of food that is distributed to these refugees is very little and ismainly composed of corn oil and sugar, the water is the one most of these Somali refugees complain the most, they stated the water is very unclean and we always get sick after drinking the water which comes from a small lake beside the camp

Sports and Education 

Abdulkadir A/llahi  Warsame

There are sports facilities such as soccer field, basketball and volleyball but they do not have equipment such balls and nets and the youth we met all said if I could have come with a couple of balls to the camp.

We cannot imagine the hard and difficult circumstance these people who are your brothers and sisters live. Hiiraan online has taken this initiative to document these stories and appeals to all Somalis to help their sisters and brothers in Nakivale refugee camp.