The New Gabiley Region and its status
 

Location

Gabiley Region locates on the Somaliland’s western fertile regions known as “Dhul-beereed”, Gabiley Region is called the bread basket of Somaliland because of its agricultural productivity level compared to the other Regions of the country, Gabiley city is the administrative center of the new region.
The new region is bounded on the west by Awdal Region and on the north by the Gulf of Aden. On the east it is bordered by the nation’s capital Hargeisa, and on the south Gabiley region is bounded by the fifth-Somali –State in the Ethiopian Federation.

1. Agriculture

With the application of new system, technology and new methods for farming it is generally noticeable that the region's agricultural productivity is increasing year after year, even though the demand for the agricultural products in the country is far greater than the supply in this sector of the economy. Only huge public and private investment in this sector will increase the productivity and the supply of the Region.
A good example of these products:

* Corn known as “Elmi Jama”
* Maize, Wheat, and barley
* Beans, Peas, and groundnuts
* Potato, tomato, Onion, Garlic, lettuce, and Cabbage
* Orange , Papaya, and water melon.

Estimated number of irrigated farms is above 1500 farms, while dry farms
Occupies the vast agricultural land of the Region.

2. Taxation and Revenue
Gabiley Region is the second source of income for the central
Government of Somaliland after Berbera.

3. Population

Gabiley Region is roughly one of the most densely populated regions in Somaliland. It is roughly estimated about 250,000 or quarter of million people live in the Region alone.
Even though there is no general census in Somaliland, the majority of Somalilander’s believe that Gabiley Region is the 3 rd most populated region in the country, Hargeisa city is 1 st and Togdheer region is the 2 nd.

4. Districts and Townships

Because the majority of the people in the Region are settled for the last 150 years, there are more townships in Gabiley Region compared to the other regions of the country due to this early settlement, and also there are more major and minor towns in Gabiley Region than anywhere else in the country for the same reason
.
Examples of Major towns:
01. Togwajale New district
02. Allaybaday District
03. A rabsiyo
04. Kalabaydh
Examples of Minors towns:
01. Geedbalaadh
02. Ceel-Sheekh
03. Harcadaad
04. Qabri-bahar
05. Agabar expected to be a district
06. Argeegta
07. Teysa
08. Xidhinta
09. Ijaara
10 Elbardaale
11. Boqor
12. Bus
13. Ali-Haydh
14. Gogeysa one and two
15. Geed Abeera
16.Caada
17.Diini Goobaaleh
18.Cabdi Geedi
19.Ilinta
20.Xamarta.

5. Education

Primary education is almost available in the whole Region; even the smaller communities have their own primary schools. On the other hand the chances to enrol a child at school in Gabiley Region is far better than most of the country.

6. Hospitals

Even though the Region is the bread basket of Somaliland, country’s 3 rd most populated region, has more townships, more Schools and probably more number of students than the majority of the regions, unfortunately the whole Region has no Hospitals from Togwajale to Ceel-Sheekh on the Gulf of Aden; therefore, the patient’s chances to get a medical treatment is almost zero.

Finally, it is the long term plan for the local people as well as the Somaliland Diaspora to find a solution about this problem and at least build One (1) Hospital for the Region’s 250,000 or Quarter of a million people without hospitals.

Only 2 Qualified doctors are currently working in the whole Region.
 

Mohamed Abdillahi Nur
Economist and Electrical Engineer
Hargeisa, Somaliland