Country Stats

  • Population: 16,965,521
  • People in need of humanitarian assistance: 8.25 million
  • Number of people internally displaced: 2 million

Concern's Impact

  • Nutrition consultations provided: 51,000 provided for children and adults
  • Cash transfers from the Somali Cash Consortium: $18 million distributed over 300,000 people
  • Farmers who received training: 140 farmers
  • Women who received small business training and start-up grants: 160 women

Why are we in Somalia? Our programs respond to the effects of natural disasters, such as drought and floods, as well as population displacements caused by conflict and ongoing insecurity. We work on emergency responses and also longer-term programs that seek to build the resilience of affected communities.

A humanitarian crisis driven by climate change and conflict

The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing its worst drought since 1981. The drought has caused major water shortages and food insecurity fueling high levels of displacement in Somalia.

UNICEF has estimated that 1.4 million Somali children are suffering from acute malnutrition as a result of the drought, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that by this summer 350,000 of the 1.4 million severely malnourished children in the country may perish if nothing is done to help them now. Over 3,500 cases of suspected measles have been reported in the first quarter of 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed elections in Somalia causing political instability and outbreaks of violence distracting from the major humanitarian crisis at hand. 

Latest achievements

Health and nutrition

Concern supports 13 fixed and 15 mobile health centers in Somalia, providing out-patient consultations, treatment for malnutrition, antenatal and post-natal supports, as well as childhood immunizations to over 503,000 patients in 2022.

Cash transfers

In 2022, in the midst of the worst drought in the last 40 years, the Somali Cash Consortium — led by Concern Worldwide — reached 427,418 people in 55,404 households with short-term, life-saving humanitarian cash transfers to a total of €8,541,656. 

Livelihood support

In Somaliland, Concern has helped to establish 65 self help groups for women. The groups support women to establish internal savings and loans schemes, contributing to their economic and social empowerment.

How we're helping Somalia

We respond to emergencies such as drought, floods and population displacements caused by conflict, climate change and ongoing insecurity, and we build resilience within communities to these shocks.

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