Radio Ergo Weekly Feedback Report, Issued: 31 Jan 2025

Brief Analysis

Calls about drought and its impact on people’s lives and livelihoods dominated the Radio Ergo audience feedback platform this week (23-29 January 2025). Particularly prominent in terms of numbers were calls from the north, including Sanag and Sool regions, and locations in central regions and Hirshabelle. A few people called more than once, indicating persistence about being heard. Many callers were concerned about the condition of their livestock. Calls seeking advice and treatment for livestock disease also came mainly from northern and central regions. Some callers were concerned about the rising cost of living particularly in northern regions. Below is a summary of the calls by theme.

(Note: Radio Ergo is a unique Somali humanitarian broadcaster on air every day nationwide with reporting gathered from our network of Somali journalists across the country. The audience feedback platform is open for listeners to call in free of charge to air their voices and concerns. On a weekly basis, we compile and share the audience feedback reports like this one as widely as possible to facilitate information exchange and potential action from those responsible).

IDPs/Conflict – three callers in Sanag region appealed for help, saying they had been displaced from conflict areas, one of them specifying Erigabo. One caller said they had lost their livestock to the severe drought. Another said they were facing food shortage and needed aid.

Food security – in Somaliland, a caller in Berbera and another in Sahil complained about the rising cost of living due to the dollar exchange rate. One asked the government to take measures to stabilise prices. A caller in Karkar, Bari region, said people were facing food shortage and were appealing for help. He said the ocean was stormy, presumably meaning that making a living from fishing was currently not possible.

Drought and water shortage – in Togdher region, a caller in Odweyne mentioned severe drought and water shortage in the area. A female caller in Nasiye said she was among the farmers struggling with the drought. Among many callers from Sanag region, a caller in Erigabo said they were short of water and needed help as people were being displaced. A female called twice saying they faced water shortage as the wells were far away. She said they needed water aid, although their livestock were doing alright for now. Other callers said their livestock had no fodder or water and were in poor condition, and that they needed the government and aid organisations to respond to their situation. Two callers in Sool region, including one in Baragaha area, said they needed help due to drought and water shortages. A caller in an unspecified part of Somaliland called twice, saying their camels had given birth but the livestock were suffering due to drought. He wanted to be called back to give further information about their situation. In Puntland, a caller in Karkar appealed for help due to the severe drought and water shortage. In Galmudug, a caller in Amara, Mudug, said they were dealing with severe water shortage. A caller in Guriel, Galgadud, said their livestock had no fodder. He wanted their message shared with aid organisations. A caller in Qorya-Ade noted that their livestock were becoming weak and they hoped for rainfall. In Hiran region, a female caller said they were facing severe drought and wanted the government and aid organisations to help them. In Middle Shabelle region, a caller in Balad said they faced drought in the area and their livestock were in poor condition and had diseases. He prayed for rainfall soon. Another in the region said the drought there had been recurrent and their crops and livestock were dying. In Lower Shabelle region, a caller in Elasha-Biyaha said they were facing water and food shortage. He added that he spoke for vulnerable families living in shacks who were appealing for help. Several callers in unspecified locations in central or southern Somali spoke of harsh drought conditions, diseases affecting their livestock, the need for pumps to help them access water from the wells, and in some cases clan conflict worsening their situation. Many called for aid.

Livestock – a caller in Salahley, Somailand, and another in nearby Labi-sagala on the Ethiopian border, mentioned pneumonia among their camels. They wanted veterinary advice. Several called about diseases affecting their goats. A caller in Dhusamareb said his goats came back healthy from grazing in the evening but couldn’t get up in the morning and some were found dead. He wanted to know the cause and how they could treat them.

Agriculture – several farmers called asking for help with birds attacking their crops. A farmer in Hiran region said he had used animal pesticides to get rid of caterpillars on his maize crops. He wanted to know if these pesticides could cause health risks to people eating the crops. A caller in Lower Shabelle said small scale farmers wanted advice on how to keep their tomatoes, lemons and maize from going bad whilst transporting them by road to other regions for sale. These questions will be answered by experts in Radio Ergo’s weekly farming programme.

Environment – several callers to Radio Ergo’s weekly environment and climate change programme complained about plastic waste being dumped in their areas. Others wanted control of wild animals including hyenas, caracals and foxes they said were attacking people and their livestock. However, a female caller in Dhusamareb noted rampant deforestation and killing of wild animals. She said wildlife was being lost and they needed the government to take urgent steps to protect these animals.

Radio programmes feedback – many callers included appreciation for the Radio Ergo’s service as part of their messages. A female caller in Mogadishu said she was happy with the Maankaab programme that raises awareness on mental health. She shared that she had lost her business two years ago and was suffering from anxiety, but was now recovering after listening and applying the techniques advocated on the programme. Another caller in Mogadishu wanted more information about the radio programmes and schedule so he could share with his parents who were pastoralists in Lower Shabelle.