Qatar Charity provides drinking water to drought-affected people in Somalia

Tribune News NetworkDohaAs part of its efforts to fight drought and its relief campaign ‘Stop Somalia’s Famine’, Qatar Charity has provided 11.2 million litres of potable water to the displaced living on the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu and Bartiri in Jubbaland state, at the rate of 90 litres of clean water for each family daily. The project benefits about 10,000 displaced people on the capital’s outskirts and provides potable water to the residents of 10 camps in Jubaland, southern Somalia. The water collection point was built through a network of pipes that transported water from the well to alleviate the suffering of the displaced in the capital’s outskirts, Mogadishu, to obtain safe drinking water. In the city of Bartiri, Gedo Governorate, in the state of Jubbaland in southern Somalia, Qatar Charity has embarked on a project to supply potable water daily to the residents of the tent camps around the city, by securing tanks dedicated to transporting water. Sahni Mahmoud, coordinator of Hadda Directorate in Banader region for the Affairs of the Displaced, praised Qatar Charity’s efforts and its immediate response to the humanitarian appeal. He added: "Many displaced families depended on buying water from paid wells, where the price of a litre of water is 50 Somali shillings. The average small family consumes more than 20 litres of water per day. The need for this project was urgent, especially in the camps with the population density, which suffers from a severe shortage of sources of potable water.Several beneficiaries expressed their happiness with the project, which contributed to alleviating their suffering related to the lack of potable water. Fatima Hassan Aliw said: "We face many challenges in the camp, including the water problem. I travel long distances daily to find water, and return with 20 litres of water, which is not enough for me and my family. She added: "Qatar Charity has provided us with safe drinking water, which we use for all our purposes.For her part, Maryam Ishaq said: "Since our displacement from the city of Hudur after the drought in the region, we have sought refuge in this camp and live without shelter. Life here is very difficult and harsh, it is especially difficult to obtain water, and if it were not for Qatar Charity’s provision of a water tanker project, we would probably look for another place.”It is worth noting that Qatar Charity recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Somali Ministry of Energy and Water, to cooperate in digging water wells, constructing water storage stations, maintaining old wells, and installing modern solar-powered pumps on them, to contribute to the ministry’s efforts to help those affected by drought and frequent floods.