Leyla was born into crisis - Drought and conflict in Somalia

Naima is sitting in a quiet room, hidden from the baking midday sun, and away from the clamour of hundreds of other mothers and their children. A wide-eyed baby sits in her lap.

It was here, at the Wadajir Health Facility in Mogadishu, that Naima gave birth to Leyla, six months ago.

“When I delivered, her weight was very low. This is because, as her mother, I was not eating well. When a mother does not have good health, the baby will also not have good health.” 

Leyla was born into crisis.

There are an estimated four million people internally displaced in Somalia, forced from their homes by a combination of conflict, drought, and flooding. In search of food and water, they travel to displacement camps; sprawling settlements of makeshift shelters, dotting the outskirts of Mogadishu and other urban centres.

Naima is originally from Mogadishu but moved to the Burhakaba District, in Bay Region, after marrying. 

“Life was good before – we farmed maize and had enough food for our family. Then the drought came. Water became scarce, and farming was no longer possible. Life grew difficult so I decided to leave for Mogadishu.”

When forced to leave land, livestock, and livelihoods, parents struggle to feed their children. In Somalia, about 1.7 million children under the age of five are expected to face acute malnutrition between August 2024 and July 2025.

Naima left Burhakaba seven months ago, travelling with her daughter Jamilah, who was then two years old. She was heavily pregnant with Leyla.

“We travelled on a vehicle which was carrying many people. There were many checkpoints along the way. Some are controlled by militia groups, and some by the government. It took us two days to reach Mogadishu.” 

When the rains fail, and food becomes scarce, the bonds that hold society together begin to fray. When there is less to eat, there is less to share. 

“The decision to leave our home wasn’t just due to the drought, but also a violent clan conflict. During our journey to Mogadishu, one of the clans who were fighting stopped us at night, and they robbed us. They stopped our vehicle, they had knives and guns, and they collected everything that we had. It was very scary, and it is a hard thing for me to even explain right now. I was so scared, and I thought that this would be my last day in my life.”

What little she had was taken. Naima had to depend on the kindness of other passengers to feed Jamilah.

“But for me, I did not have enough to eat. When I arrived in Mogadishu, I was very hungry, as I had not eaten enough, as the food was just enough for my daughter.”

Naima needed health care, urgently. But she had no money to pay for it.

With funding from European Union Humanitarian Aid and Irish Aid, Concern Worldwide operates the Siinkadheer and Wadajir Health Facilities in Mogadishu. Together, these two primary health care facilities provide free care to approximately 72,000 people a year, most of whom are internally displaced persons. 

Concern and the European Union collaborate through two consortia in Somalia. The Caafimaad Plus Consortium provides food and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, and primary health care. The Somali Cash Consortium (SCC) sends cash to displaced families, with no strings attached. The two consortia work hand-in-hand: When a child is hospitalised with malnutrition, the family are provided with cash assistance, to mitigate the conditions outside the clinic gates, and help prevent a relapse.

“I delivered in this health facility,” says Naima. “I realised that my baby was malnourished because when she was born, her weight was very low, and she was not able to sleep. She was crying all the time. The doctors then said that she has an infection in her stomach, and they gave her some medication, and they gave me a schedule for when I should be bringing her for check-ups every week.

“When they gave medicine to my baby, she stopped vomiting and having diarrhoea. They also gave me supplementary nutritious food for my daughter. Before I started this supplementary feeding, her weight was 3 kg, and now it is 4.5 kg.

“The first time that I heard that my child was 4 kg, I felt very happy. I became hopeful that she will continue adding weight.

“Now Leyla is six months old; she cannot sit down, and she cannot sleep on her own. Other children her age are able to sit and stand up, and seeing my child unable to sit or stand makes me very disappointed.”

Her husband, who later joined her in Mogadishu, cannot find work. Naima cleans clothes for money, but it’s not enough.

“Getting food is our biggest challenge at the moment. We also don’t have money to buy clothes. I don’t even have a phone.”

For now, Leyla is recovering. Unfortunately, the staff at the Wadajir Health Facility are accustomed to treating the same children more than once for malnutrition. Outside the gates of the facility, the struggle to survive goes on. 

She is not safe yet.