Somalia

Concern’s emergency team provides a multi-sector response to families affected by climate disasters (including flood and drought) and man-made disasters such as conflict and displacement. 

A key pillar of our response is unconditional cash transfers, which we distribute via the Somali Cash Consortium (SCC). Delivered via mobile phones, these transfers help families quickly receive funds to meet their basic needs — including food and healthcare. These transfers also support local economies and markets. 

We respond to health emergencies, including surges in malnutrition and other disease outbreaks. We run clinics providing basic health and nutrition screening and treatment, with particular focus on young children and their mothers. We also ensure access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Additionally, we support education in emergency contexts, helping internally-displaced parents to enroll their children in school and working with schools to support their students. 

Concern works closely with local and national organizations to both prepare for and respond to emergencies across the country. Our key partners include Shabelle Community Development Organization, Life-Line Gedo, Observatory Development and Welfare Organization, Somaliland Skill and Training Association, Humanitarian Just Relief Initiative, Initiative for Relief and Climate Action, Gargaar Relief and Development Organization, and Youth Link. We also work in close collaboration with government stakeholders to strengthen local capacity and coordination plans for emergency response.

Our health and nutrition program in Somalia focuses on delivering integrated health, nutrition, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) services to the most vulnerable people and communities. This includes children under the age of five, pregnant and breastfeeding women and displaced communities. Currently, Concern supports 22 health facilities, includng static and mobile clinics. 

One of our flagship projects in Somalia is the Irish Aid-funded Hanaano program. Working across the Mandera triangle region of the Horn of Africa (which connects Somalia with Ethiopia and Kenya), this three-year, cross-border, community-driven initiative takes an integrated approach to address child wasting. Hanaano (which means “to nurture” in the Somali language) integrates nutrition, livelihoods, WASH, natural resource management, social and behavioural change, gender equality, and conflict sensitivity initiatives to tackle the root causes of malnutrition. Last year, Hanaano reached nearly 11,000 program participants in Somalia’s Gedo region.

Complementing our work in nutrition, food security is at the core of our programming in Somalia. We work with farmers and pastoralists to develop climate-resilient approaches to improving both their livelihoods and food supplies at home. As part of our Irish Aid-funded CRESS program (Climate Resilience and Environmentally Sustainable Solutions), we have trained farmers on Climate Smart Agriculture techniques and agro-ecology and provided them with seeds, tools, and water-harvesting sheets to succeed. Despite a drought in 2025, CSA-trained families were able to harvest 3-4 months’ worth of food. We also work with cascading teaching, farmer field schools, and mentorship methods to build expertise and community support. 

CRESS also features another key aspect of our approach to livelihoods programming: self-help groups. These initiatives help to foster skills, support, and financial inclusion. Last year, CRESS supported 240 women in Banadir to form self-help groups, providing high-quality training sessions on topics like business, technical, and vocational skills and start-up capital. Another 200 women in Belet Hawa received three days of intensive training on business development and financial management. Each of their self-help groups (10 in total) received $4,000 in grants following approval of their business plans. Many self-help groups also invest in community priorities.