Fighting in southern Somalia displaces hundreds of farming families
MOGADISHU—Recent heavy fighting and airstrikes in the towns of Sabiid and Caanoole in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region have forced hundreds of families to flee their homes, triggering a new wave of displacement and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
The majority of those displaced were subsistence farmers who relied on their land for survival. They are now sheltering in makeshift conditions in Carbiska, on the outskirts of Mogadishu, where they face worsening humanitarian conditions and have received little to no aid.
“These people were farmers who depended entirely on their land,” said Cali Bariiri, a community activist originally from Sabiid who is now advocating on behalf of the displaced. “They have been uprooted by the conflict and are now in urgent need of food, shelter, and medical assistance.”
Bariiri accused both the Federal Government of Somalia and the South West State administration of failing to respond to the crisis.
“Since their displacement, no formal aid has reached them. They are enduring extreme hardship with no support,” he added.
The displacement highlights the recurring pattern in Somalia’s long-running conflict, where civilians bear the brunt of violence between armed actors. Each new wave of fighting often leaves families without livelihoods, shelter, or access to basic services.
Community elders and local leaders are now calling for immediate humanitarian intervention, urging national authorities and aid agencies to act swiftly to alleviate the suffering of those stranded in Carbiska.
Radio Ergo cites 1,500 families displaced.
See “Somalia’s war with al-Shabab forces hundreds of families to flee homes in Middle Shabelle,” Radio Ergo (17 May 2025).
Photo: Al Shabaab gangs patrolling the countryside. Source: Shabelle Media.
