The Plight of Roqaya and her Eleven Children

Roqaya Ahmed Ali, a mother of eleven, was forced to flee with her children from their village of Karen, Somalia, due to severe drought conditions, which had caused the deaths of all her livestock – about 150 goats and 30 camels.

The livestock were Roqaya ‘s only source of income. She decided to stay in the area to which she was displaced and not return to her village, even after the conditions which caused the displacement had passed. She expected that her family’s living conditions would improve, but that was not the case.

Roqaya and her eleven children suffered from many challenges. They all lived in a makeshift house made of iron sheet scraps, clothing and sticks. These materials could not stand up to wind, rain or even the heat of the sun. They lived without regular sources of food or water, but Roqaya still had hope that her family’s situation would change.

Then, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, reached out to Roqaya and helped her to benefit from one of their joint WASH (“water, sanitation and hygiene”) sector projects.

“I’m so fortunate to be one of the beneficiaries of this project,” she says. “I received a very good hygiene kit. The jerry cans that I got will help me collect enough water for my family, and I will use the water-purification tablets so we will have very clean water. Thank you for your life-saving support!”