Shock and despair in Mogadishu as Hundreds of Poor Families Face Eviction in Waaberi

Mogadishu (WDN) — Shock and despair are spreading through the Buulo Eelaay neighborhood of Waaberi district, where hundreds of mostly low-income families say they have been ordered to leave homes they have occupied for decades, amid fears that bulldozers could soon arrive to demolish the properties.

Residents say they were given only a few days to vacate their homes. Many families have already begun moving their belongings, using small vehicles and donkey carts to transport what they can salvage.

For families living on the margins, the order has created an immediate humanitarian crisis. Women, children and elderly residents are among those being forced to confront an agonizing question: Where will we go?

Some families say they have neither the money to rent alternative accommodation nor the resources to cover the cost of moving. Others say they have received no clear information about whether the government has prepared relocation sites, compensation or any form of assistance.