{"id":15743,"date":"2025-01-02T21:27:18","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T21:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/?p=15743"},"modified":"2025-01-04T15:09:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T15:09:11","slug":"seven-days-adrift-somali-migrants-battle-hunger-loss-and-despair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/2025\/01\/02\/seven-days-adrift-somali-migrants-battle-hunger-loss-and-despair\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven days adrift .. Somali migrants battle hunger, loss, and despair"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU —\u00a0<\/strong> Somali migrants seeking a better life often face harrowing journeys across treacherous waters. For Said Muse Yalahow and his companions, the dream of reaching Spain <\/span>turned into<\/span>\u00a0a nightmare as they drifted at sea for seven days, enduring loss, hunger, and despair.<\/span><\/p>\n

Said was one of 60 migrants aboard a small boat that departed Mauritania under the cover of darkness. Their journey began with heartbreak when a young woman from their group was left behind, captured by security forces during a frantic chase.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShe couldn\u2019t keep up when the military came after us. We had to leave her behind,\u201d Said recalled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their plan to reach Spain within three days fell apart when the boat\u2019s GPS failed, leaving them lost in open waters. As hope dwindled, they turned to passing ships for help, but their cries went unanswered.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery ship we signalled for help sped away. We were left to fend for ourselves,\u201d Said said.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the fourth day, the physical and emotional toll was evident. Abdulqadir, a young man on the boat, succumbed to the cold, hunger, and thirst. His death marked the beginning of a series of tragedies that tested the survivors\u2019 resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbdulqadir couldn\u2019t survive. May God have mercy on him,\u201d Said recounted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two others fell into severe psychological distress, their behaviour becoming erratic. Amid the chaos, the group faced the grim task of disposing of bodies to make room on the overcrowded boat.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the seventh day, the boat drifted back into Moroccan waters, where the survivors encountered fishing vessels. By then, another passenger, Maslax, had passed away. Moroccan authorities eventually rescued the remaining passengers, but not all survived the subsequent hospital stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the original group of 60 migrants, only six remain. Said and his companions are now housed in a camp in Rabat, recovering from the ordeal.<\/span><\/p>\n

The plight of these migrants highlights the dangers of irregular migration. Somalia\u2019s ambassador to Morocco, Salad Ali Catosh, urged citizens to reconsider such perilous journeys.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMigration is fraught with danger. We encourage our citizens to seek opportunities within Somalia,\u201d the ambassador said. He stressed the embassy\u2019s ongoing efforts to repatriate those stranded abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source: HOL\u00a0 \u00a0 Origin: view original<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU —\u00a0 Somali migrants seeking a better life often face harrowing journeys across treacherous waters. For Said Muse Yalahow and his companions, the dream of reaching Spain turned into\u00a0a nightmare as they drifted at sea for seven days, enduring loss, hunger, and despair. Said was one of 60 migrants aboard a small boat that departed …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1,10],"tags":[1463,1464,1465,1466,1408],"class_list":["post-15743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-displacement-and-asylum","category-news","category-protection-cluster","tag-adrift","tag-battle-hunger","tag-despair","tag-loss","tag-somali-migrants"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t