After a fire destroyed a market in Hargeisa, Somalia on April 1, religious leaders, business owners, elders, and activists in Minneapolis are organizing several fundraisers.
A massive fire destroyed the largest open-air market in Somaliland on the eve of Ramadan. There were no fatalities, but there were 28 injuries and hundreds of businesses destroyed. Although the fire was put out by Saturday night, the cause is still unknown.
Thousands of shops and stalls line the market, which would have been gearing up for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is the busiest time of year for business owners in Muslim countries. According to Somali government officials, the market accounted for 40 to 50 percent of the city’s economy. The fire is estimated to have cost $2 billion in damages.
According to organizer Abdirahman Kahin, the founder and owner of Afro Deli, Minneapolis’ Somali community came together in recent days to raise awareness and launch fundraisers for those affected by the fire.
Minnesota has the country’s largest Somali population, and many Minnesotans have relatives in Somalia.
“Everyone has been in mourning since Friday,” Abdirahman told Sahan Journal. “People rely on these types of markets for their daily needs—clothing, food, and everything else.”
About 40 organizers announced their plans to hold multiple fundraising efforts at a press conference Monday evening at the Abubakar As-Sadique Islamic Center in south Minneapolis.
On April 9, they will host an iftar fundraiser dinner at the Saint Paul Event Center, where attendees can break their fast. A GoFundMe page has been set up by the organizers to collect donations. They will send the money directly to Hargeisa’s mayor’s office, which has formed a team to rebuild the market.
At the press conference, Abdisalam Adam, a St. Paul assistant principal and an imam, urged people from all over the world to help the people of Hargeisa. Hargeisa is Somaliland’s capital. With a population of 1.2 million people, it is also the largest city in the region.
“We express our solidarity with the victims who have become homeless overnight at the start of Ramadan,” he said. “The images of vast destruction deeply distress us as religious leaders, business owners, and community members.”
The fire’s impact, according to Abdirahman, extends beyond the city. The market’s wholesalers distributed goods to smaller markets across the country. People in East Africa had already been suffering from a three-season drought.
“We’ve been raising funds to fight the drought since January,” Abdirahman said. “We were unable to meet our goal because the drought’s scope is greater than the Somali community in Minnesota.” People are devastated as a result of this.”
Abdirahman said a committee is coordinating online donations with the Minneapolis Foundation, a local philanthropic organization, and that donations are currently being accepted through GoFundMe.
As more fundraisers and ways to help are announced, Sahan Journal will update this story.