Droughts, famines and displacement
The Waaheen market fire in Hargeisa, 1 to 2 April 2022
On the evening of 1 April 2022, the first night of Ramadan, fire swept through Waaheen, Hargeisa's main market. It burned for about 16 hours. No one died, and 28 people were badly injured. The Somaliland Red Crescent and the government estimated that almost 2,000 shops and stalls were destroyed and over 12,000 people affected. The mayor of Hargeisa put early losses at US$1.5 to 2 billion.
In short
Fire broke out in Waaheen, the biggest market in Hargeisa, on the evening of 1 April 2022. Somaliland's fire service brought it under control about 16 hours later, at noon on 2 April, with help from the fire department of Ethiopia's Somali region. The fire service called it "the worst fire experienced in decades" (ReliefWeb, Somalia: Urban Fire Incident – Apr 2022; IFRC, 7 April 2022).
No one died, because the fire came after the market had closed. It was the first night of Ramadan (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
The damage
By 3 April the Somaliland Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and the government estimated (IFRC, 7 April 2022):
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Shops and stalls completely destroyed | almost 2,000 |
| Buildings destroyed | 100 |
| Buildings with extensive damage | about 50 |
| People rescued | 62 |
| People severely injured | 28 |
| People affected | over 12,000 |
| People who lost their livelihoods | about 10,000 |
Most houses near the market were made of iron sheets and tarpaulins, among some tall concrete buildings (IFRC, 7 April 2022).
The cost
- Mayor's estimate. The mayor of Hargeisa, a member of the national response committee, put the loss at around US$1.5 to 2 billion (IFRC, 7 April 2022; Africanews, 4 April 2022).
- Share of the economy. Al Jazeera reported the authorities' estimate of US$2 billion, "or 60% of Somaliland's GDP". It said about 2,000 business owners were affected, and that the true number was higher because many traders were not registered (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
- Traders. One unregistered trader told Al Jazeera: "I lost almost $2,000. I lost everything." Ayan Mahamoud, Somaliland's former representative in the UK, said: "It was more than a market, it was an entire financial district" (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
The response
- Government. Within two weeks the Somaliland government had identified almost 1,000 victims for compensation (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
- Red Crescent. The SRCS and the IFRC ran a rapid assessment and asked for emergency funds (IFRC, 7 April 2022).
- Taiwan pledged US$500,000 (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
- United Kingdom. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote: "Your city will rise again and UK will do what we can to support Somaliland's rebuilding effort" (quoted by Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
- Al Jazeera reported that because Somaliland is not internationally recognised, foreign governments generally gave through NGOs rather than directly (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
The fire came during the 2020 to 2023 drought. The UN estimated that the drought had affected over 800,000 people in Somaliland (Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022).
Related pages
Sources
- ReliefWeb. Somalia: Urban Fire Incident – Apr 2022 (IFRC, 7 April 2022).
- Al Jazeera (2022). Hargeisa: Huge fire destroys market in Somali breakaway region, 2 April 2022.
- Al Jazeera (2022). 'I lost everything': Somaliland market fire upturns life, economy, 26 April 2022.
- Africanews (2022). Somaliland market fire losses between 1.5 billion-$2 billion (preliminary report), 4 April 2022.
Sources
- ReliefWeb, Somalia: Urban Fire Incident – Apr 2022 · reliefweb.int
- Al Jazeera, 26 April 2022 · aljazeera.com
- Africanews, 4 April 2022 · africanews.com
- Hargeisa: Huge fire destroys market in Somali breakaway region · aljazeera.com
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