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For a Somali camel was his truck, air force carrier, insurance, food, pride, identity, culture, friend, companion, explorer, defender, satellite communication, clothe, family (when getting married the family were offered camels as much as 200-300 in today's money worth $140,000-$200,000). In today's Somali market a single healthy camel is worth $700-$800 where as cattle are half of that. In the Middle East its even more.
During clan feuds, camels were used to resolve issues too by offering the clan that suffered damages camels as compensation. The aggressor clan were often asked to pay one camel for every male member in their clan and in some clans the members can be over 50,000-300,000 or far more.
We still practice this culture, its insurance we pay together. The family can request the camels be sold and exchanged to money or they can take the camels. We don't necessarily have to pill $200k or million dollar ourselves but as members we chip in together. This culture is especially strong in Somaliland, Djibouti and Somali Region.
