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When politicians discuss climate change, it is because of what is happening in places like Somaliland in the Horn of Africa.
Felicity McCabe’s photographs, part of Save the Children’s “action/2015” project, depict life in the village of Gargara, where drought has killed off most of its livestock.
Save the Children's Action 2015Show all 7 1 /7Save the Children's Action 2015 Save the Children's Action 2015 Shukri, 50 years old From Gargara, Awdal region, Somaliland “The last three years has been so tough because the rains haven’t come. I use to have 200 goats, sheep, camels and donkey. But now I have just 10 goats left. My livestock died because there was just nothing left for them to eat. I used to feel like a rich woman because I had everything I needed – milk, butter, meat. Now I have none of these. “I’m thankful to God and other people who are giving us water and food to eat, but I would like to go back to my old village and restart my life. I only know how to be a pastoralist. “The droughts have caused everyone to suffer. Those who were rich are now poor, and those who were poor are still poor.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
Save the Children's Action 2015 Sahel, 26 years old From Gargara, Awdal region, Somaliland Sahel with her children, from left to right, Sagal , 2 years old, Yaasir, 4 years old, Khalid, 6 years old. She says: “Three years ago we lost all of our livestock during the drought, so we travelled two days to reach this village where we heard there was water. I carried Yaasir and Khalid walked alongside me. It was full of struggle. Sometimes you stop and try to cook rice but you realise you have no rice. My children had to sleep without eating. We got tired a lot." “If you try to cook food to sell, there is no market – people just don’t have the money to buy it. You just end up eating it yourself. Now my life is full of worry. I don’t like staying here but I have to. I won’t go back unless there is something to go back to.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
Save the Children's Action 2015 Roda, 18 years old and daughter Idil, 13 months old From near Gargara, Awdal region Somaliland “I miss my old life – we used to have a lot of livestock and 10 camels. But there is nothing in my old village now. Living here in the camp is very difficult, especially the lack of water and medical healthcare. My child got sick recently and had diarrhoea for a number of days. I have to live here; I have nowhere else to go.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
Save the Children's Action 2015 Hassan Haji Tawakal, 80 years old From Gargara, Awdal region, Somaliland “I am the eldest person in this town. I sort out minor problems, everything comes to me, from personal issues to public issues. We need many things in our town. Water is a basic need. All communities need it whether it comes from shallow wells or water assistance. Children should be sent to school on proper scholarships, and learn income-generating skills. I need cash for my children. I need health for my family but we don’t have sufficient healthcare. “My wealth has been destroyed. I used to have a huge livestock but I have none now. The drought is still here. Each drought comes with its own intensity, but the last one was the fiercest I’ve ever seen. I am struggling, but I don’t have any answers.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
Save the Children's Action 2015 Ayan, 11 years old From near Gargara, Awdal region, Somaliland "Our family used to have many livestock and seven camels, but now we just have three goats. I miss dinking camels’ milk – I remember it was so delicious, but it’s too expensive to buy now. When I’m older I’d like to look after livestock like my family used to.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
Save the Children's Action 2015 Annab, 40 years old From Cabdi Geedi, Maroodi Jeex region, Somaliland “The droughts have been getting worse for ten years and it is getting worse day by day. In May this year it was so severe, the rains failed again and my family and I didn’t have anything to drink. I was worried for my children’s lives. Then the emergency water came and it saved us. “I used to have 40 livestock. Because of the droughts and rains I have lost nearly all of them. Another six died four days ago. I now have just four left. I used to feed my children rice. I was worried when I couldn’t buy rice. They miss the meat and milk we used to get from our livestock. The children got weaker and stopped playing. I used to feed them a few times a day, then I only fed them once.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
Save the Children's Action 2015 Aasha, five years old From Bodale, Maroodi Jeex region, Somaliland “I help my mother to look after my baby sister. I also help with the goats, herding them from place to place. My favourite goat is a little one called Quruxo. It means beautiful one.”
Felicity McCabe/Save the Children
The failure of seasonal rains and the subsequent droughts throughout the past two years have affected more than 240,000 people, seriously threatening the population's access to clean safe water, their livelihoods, and causing child malnutrition rates to rise at an alarming rate.
The water shortage and rapidly drying pasture in the drought-stricken regions has led to an estimated 35 to 40 pe rcent loss of livestock, jeopardising the livelihoods of pastoralists who make up around 55 per cent of the population.
Hassan, pictured top , the village elder who is 80, says: “I try to sort out minor problems. But I don’t have any answers.”
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