Uusmiirad is a Somali word describing a procedure that involves extracting water from the stomach and intestines of a slaughtered camel, and then drinking it to survive.
Camels were the primary method of transportation across deserts because they could live for over a month without water. However, if a nomad miscalculated traveling distances, or if a desert groundwater well suddenly went dry, a caravan could run out of drinking water. This created a deadly situation, leaving the traveler with few options for survival. At this point, nomads were forced to resort to the uusmirrad. It was the ultimate sacrifice for the animal, but it meant life for the nomad.<ref name="david" />
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