Bossasso’s
post civil; war recovery is very slow
Mohamed
Abdullah Mohmoud (DULA)
East
African University
After the
civil war had erupted in Somalia at end of the last century,
many people fled to Bossaso for a save haven from the fierce
fighting happening in the country particularly those displaced
from the south.
Their prime
choice for Bossaso was its partial peace relative to the other
parts of the country.
The town is
regarded as one of the biggest cities in Puntland and now has
big business operations making it different from its other
sister towns because of its geographical location and its
strategic port where livestock are exported abroad.
Bossaso has
a congested population and is now facing a big housing problem.
There are no
organized groups which deal with this sector. Most of its
residents build their houses at unsuitable locations such as
roadsides which may cause sudden accidents and sometimes
paralyze the vehicle movements.
There are
also other mistakes committed by building engineers. They did
not plan housing stands well with the consequences of hot
climate in Bossaso in the summer season.
Bossaso has
no asphalt roads except one which links the town to other parts
of the country. There are no immediate plans for building new
roads in the city.
Another
problem is sanitation which is very low and underdeveloped.
People throw out the food remnants to the streets. This results
in unhealthy conditions that cause seasonal diseases like
diarherea and malaria. During this season there is an epidemic
of cholera in the town. Hundreds of children and elderly people
were hospitalized. Others have already died.
Of the
twelve months of the year, only four months are cold, and others
are very hot. Many families cannot survive or evacuate their
children to cooler places.
To overcome
these problems the following should be done.
A)
Build up an
extra tarred road.
B)
There should
be more trash bins in the neighborhoods.
C)
Install in
the town more generators to increase electricity supply.
D)
Planting
more trees along road sides and inside houses.