Tania Rashid:
Hassan anxiously waiting for his wife and six children, who were all due to arrive the next day. He had no shelter food to offer them, but the safety of his family under the sky, he says, means everything to him.
In addition to causing terror to Somalis, Al-Shabaab is also waging campaigns that have a direct effect on the environment.
Al-Shabaab has also been behind an illicit charcoal trade, now banned by the United Nations. While it was a major source of income for the group, it was also a primary cause for deforestation. For years, Al-Shabaab has been cutting trees for charcoal to fire hookah bars in the United Arab Emirates, an industry worth billions.
This deforestation has led to widespread failure of crops, livestock and famine. The U.N. estimates, prior to the ban, Al-Shabaab was earning tens of millions of dollars from the illicit charcoal trade. Despite a ban, expert and other local sources confirmed the trade continues.
We spoke to an illicit charcoal trader who requested to remain anonymous. He confirmed that the charcoal trade has continued, despite the ban, and is a source of funding for terrorism.