East Africa Drought - Somaliland

Somaliland – Countering drought in East Africa

East Africa Drought Hunger
7 in 10 Somalis have less than $2 a day to survive.
East Africa Drought - Children needs Help
1 million children are malnourished.
1.23 million people have no access to drinking water.

Somaliland is an autonomous region in East Africa that includes the northern part of Somalia bordering Ethiopia. About 65 percent of Somaliland’s 3.5 million inhabitants derive their income almost exclusively from livestock. When the rains fail and hardly anything grows, the animals find no food sources, and the people are threatened existentially.

Natural disasters caused by climate change are the biggest reason why people have to leave their homes. Poverty and unemployment are widespread in Somaliland. For the majority of the population, getting enough food is a daily struggle.

The focus of our work

Our main goal in Somaliland is to strengthen village communities and increase their resilience so that people can counter their local problems and crises through knowledge, planning, preparation, and collaboration. This will be achieved through projects in water and agriculture, health promotion, and economic development.

  • East Africa Drought - Children needs support
  • East Africa Drought - Somaliland needs water
  • East Africa Drought - Poverty
  • East Africa Drought - Families need help
East Africa Drought - Store in Somaliland

“I couldn’t believe that saving and lending small amounts of money could change our circumstances so much. Later, I realized that this can be our way out of poverty.”

Fadumo Muse (49), who was once forced to become a beggar in the city, now runs a small grocery store.

Projects in Somaliland

East Africa Drought - Health

Health / Nutrition

  • Improving the health of pregnant women, mothers, and their children through healthier, more varied diets
  • Establishing vegetable gardens and greenhouses so that different types of vegetables are available
  • Conducting cooking classes together with mothers’ groups
  • Training family health counselors to educate about healthy eating through home visits
  • Raising awareness about hygiene in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic (washing hands, keeping your distance)
East Africa Drought - Water is nessary

Water and agriculture

  • Sustaining natural resources through rainwater storage and rehabilitation of local water infrastructure
  • Improving soil quality of cropland and pastureland to increase fertility and yields
  • Crisis risk management (e.g., against drought, locust plagues, etc.)

Drought in east africa – Every drop counts

Drought is having a severe impact on 75 percent of Somaliland’s population. The past two rainy seasons turned out worse than hoped, leading to significant water shortages in rural communities. Tearfund Germany was on site to provide people with sufficient water.

East Africa Drought - Inclusion in Somaliland

Inclusion

  • Providing education for children with disabilities (e.g., autism, Down syndrome, developmental delays, etc.) and supporting parents
  • Training and informing staff, volunteers, social workers, and teachers
East Africa Drought - Economic development

Economic development

  • Empowering of women through so-called self-help groups/savings groups to build small businesses; networking of these groups at the cluster level
  • Providing literacy courses
  • Providing further education, awareness campaigns, and training on nutrition and diversification of food and income

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