Matthew Carter

Writer working with the British Red Cross on issues to do with refugees, asylum and international family tracing.

Posts by Matthew Carter:

Praying for rain: one day in drought-hit Somalia

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Garabis, Balilgubadle village, 35 km from Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland. Severe drought in Somalia has caused the death of many animals and badly affected the lives of shepherds. Throughout the area, most wells have dried up, which has resulted in the death of more than half of the cattle. Families have lost their income, along with their main source of food and milk.

Reporting from drought-hit Somaliland, Hannah Wilkinson, the British Red Cross’ senior media manager, discovers a proud people struggling to survive.

Soon after stepping off the plane in the city of Hargeisa, I learnt that my visit coincided with the President declaring a national day of prayer. People here have actually been asked to pray for rain.

Driving towards Sool, one of the worst drought affected areas in eastern Somaliland, you can see why. More

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Somalia: one family’s fight to survive a severe drought

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© ICRC/Pedram Yazdi

“I am 75 years old. I have not heard of or seen such a severe drought,” said Abdi.

Abdi’s family are among many others taking refuge in temporary shelters surrounding the village of Tukaraq, in northern Somalia.

They travelled here by foot, some 150 kilometres from their home.

Like many other drought-affected families across Somalia, their situation is getting desperate.

Please donate to our East Africa Crisis Appeal.

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Thirteen pictures from a land without rain

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halima profile

Most of Halima’s children are too young to remember how things used to be.

She remembers though. And each year she sees the determined march of the desert into her once rich pastoral lands, it brings a sense of foreboding to her village.

They have lost livestock to the drought – a barometer of wealth here – and people’s health is starting to fail.

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Together at last: Syrian father reunited with his son in Heathrow

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Khaled and son

© Philip Coburn / Mirror 2016

Tens of thousands of people arrive at London Heathrow every day. Recently the Channel 4 documentary, Arrivals, told the story of Khaled, a Syrian refugee who met his son at the airport after a year apart. The British Red Cross helped to reunite father and son in emotional scenes. This is their story.

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