Friday, February 1, 2008

An Appeal For Immediate Humanitarian Help

On the 13th of January 2008, a natural disaster befell on a vast area in the Awdal region and Gabiley District of Somaliland. Frozen rains accompanied by winds exceeding a 100 km/hour hit the region for three consecutive days. The sudden and drastic fall of temperature reaching as low as -20ºC (-4ºF) victimized all forms of lives in districts of Saylac, Lughaya, Baki and beyond, where these icy rains brought unbearable weather conditions in what is otherwise considered an all-year-round warm weather. A conservative estimate indicates that over 70,000 animals, mostly sheep and camels died as a result of this catastrophe. The most inaccessible parts of the region, especially in the centre of the mountainous region, which are also part of heavily affected areas, have yet to be reached. Over 50,000 wild animals are believed to have died instantly.

The human toll as a result of the disaster is shocking and reports coming out of Borama have indicated that the death toll is very high. Thousands of people have lost their entire livestock as well as all other properties they had, resulting an inevitability of displacement of thousands of people who have become destitute overnight. Reports also indicated mysterious health problems among the survivors where skin blisters and open wounds, excessive swelling and hypothermia, blindness and hearing lost, as well as hallucination and mental disorder have been seen in a chaotic situation where survivors are desperately trying to figure out what has just happened to their lives. There is also a concern that there could be a break out of epidemic diseases like cholera resulting from water contamination due to the unusually high dead bodies of livestock and wild lives in the area.

We are appealing to those who are able to help these people in the affected area with urgent assistance. These needed items and immediate assistance include, but are not limited to, food, clothing, shelter and medicine.
To donate any of these items in need, please contact either one of Amoudfoundation.com, READngo.org, AACNA.org, or other venues you may desire to reach these people who are affected.

For those who would like to help the victims of this disaster thru IQRA/READ, please donate by calling its Headquarters Office in Borama at +2522613290 or +25224450839, or by mail to vice-president Sh. Osman Ahmed Ibrahim at info@readngo.org

We appreciate your immediate support