INTRODUCTION
Following the Puntland President decision on land allocation for the Yemen refugees in Gardo district, approximately 450 Yemeni refugees were relocated to Gardo district from Bossaso district as from 8th June up to now and were warmly received and welcomed by high delegations including Puntland Minister of Interior and Local government development and Gardo authority (regional and district levels), other officials, elders and Gardo communities. Quiet apart from others, the Gardo Refugee Committee has assigned this local NGO, Puntland Development Organization (PDO) due to its capacities and capabilities to take primary responsibilities, management and facilitation activities to the Yemeni refugees with warmly receiving, providing all arrangements including preparing welcoming, water, food (lunch), evening meals temporary dormitory (sleeping rooms having with bedding, mattresses, mats, pillows, etc) as accommodation for the refugees in (E.A.U)-Gardo branch, providing check up health (Gardo General Hospital), police for security purpose and also preparing the new donated land for Yemen refugees.
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of relocating these Yemeni refugees to Gardo district was due to its favorable climate in comparison to Bossaso that was very hot by then. Since most of the Yemenis were unable to adopt and live in such climatic conditions of Bossaso, it became a prerequisite for them to be transferred to a cool and normal environment that is peaceful for the refugees hence opted for Gardo District of Karkaar Region.
ACTIVITIES/ACTIONS
Puntland Development Organization (PDO) in cooperation with Gardo refugee relocation Committee has been providing very essential services to the Yemeni refugees since their settlement as follows:
- Feeding
As from 8th June 2015, PDO Staff in co-operation with Gardo Refugee Committee dedicated their time in bringing and purchasing food, vegetables, Meat, Utensils and firewood at the same time cooking and distributing to the refugees. The refugees were daily given well prepared meals as Breakfast, Lunch and even Super to their satisfaction. There are also other humanitarian organizations who were personally donating in kind and in cash to the Yemeni refugees and also the UN who provided them with e-voucher cards and toping up money for them so that they can buy whatever they need in selected trading enterprises in Gardo.PDO took the initiative to supervise and directing the donations.
- Clean water
As from the beginning, PDO Staff in co-operation with Gardo Refugee Committee have providing clean water that was adequate to the refugees to their satisfaction. Water being life, its availability to the vulnerable refugees was every now and then taken care of.
- Medical care
Since most of the refugees are comprised of female and children as well as people who are in trauma, these leads to after being given medical care during the day by the small clinic, they are transferred to the main hospital during the night as emergency by PDO staff in co-operation with the committee and the Regional Health as well as save the children.
- Water system and toilets maintenance
The refugees since they are many in number and covered the whole compound and being difficult to manage which lead to damage of the water system pipes and toilets therefore these needed a daily maintenance of the water system as well as the toilets. All this have been done by PDO staff and the Gardo Refugee Committee.
ACHIEVEMENT
The goal of the Yemeni refugees’ relocation to Gardo district of Karkaar region was succefully achieved. This was through the refugees themselves adopting very well with the calm, cool and the favorable climate of Gardo district as well as peaceful co-existence with the community at large. They were very satisfied with the hospitality of all who have taken part in their relocation and provision of basic essential services to them which they were deeply in need of. We were well wishers who were ready to take care of them in such hard and traumatized situation. Apart from the services provided to them by PDO in cooperation with the Gardo refugee relocation committee, the refugees were also receiving donations from well wishers both in cash and in kind during their stay in the University compound which actually helped them to sustain themselves in taking care of their secondary needs as they enjoyed the basic needs in the compound.
CHALLENGES
- The main challenge is the refugees who are not yet ready to settlement outside the university compound although the university is to opened soon hence will not be available anymore.
- The donated land for the refugees and assigned by the Puntland president and Gardo community which has not yet been built.
- The other challenge is the Gardo general hospital management supported by save the children which is no longer responsible for the medical support of the refugees.
- The last challenge is drastic reduction of PDO’s running costs towards the refugees due to lack of funds which we were sometimes receiving from Puntland religious leaders but as for now expectation from them has also reduced.
RECCOMENDATION
Since we have addressed the activities and achievements made during the refugees stay in the compound. Hard work and dedication by the PDO staff has been always displayed. Therefore we would like to recommend Puntland Government, United Nations (UN), international agencies, Local agencies with capacity strength and agencies representing their governments not to blindfold them from the heavy load that is on PDO and the Gardo refugee committee which is in connection with the different service mentioned above that always requires monetary costs. Therefore the refugees need shelter, medical support and administrative costs.
Once again we would like to recommend all well wishers to lighten the heavy work that PDO and the committee undertakes and participate in easing the situation with special consideration to the PDO staff and Gardo refugee committee in terms financial support. Any well wisher who may do that is the same as doing an essential thing for the refugees at large.
CONCLUSION
Finally PDO and the Gardo Refugee relocation Committee, would like to hereby highly appreciate Puntland government and all the organization (Puntland Refugee Committee, UNHCR, WFP, Save the Children, DRC, Care International, ICRC, Tadamun, ZamZam Foundation, Boqor Burhan Foundation and other Islamic charity organizations) that supported us in all ways during the program of service provisions for the Yemeni Refugees. We wish they will in future continue contributing towards the welfare of these vulnerable refugees.
