A week has passed since a blaze destroyed the Waheen market in Hargeisa. The impact of the devastating fire is still being felt, with many local business people reeling from its impact.
“My boutique used to stock clothes. I used to sell all types of clothes. It was a big boutique. I used to feed my elderly parents, my children, as well as my daughters’ children in total, ten people’s livelihoods depended on my business. I was the only breadwinner for my family and they depended on this boutique, but it is no more,” said Zainab Hassan Warsame, as she stepped through the ashes of where her boutique once stood.
With an estimated 5,000 businesses ranging from large stores to small stalls once located in the marketplace, Warsame is far from alone.