The last three decades in Somalia and Somaliland have seen frequent manmade and natural disasters, including drought, floods, conflict, and locust infestations. Conflict at times results in evictions of whole communities, and this was recently the case in Las ‘Anod, in Sool and Sanaag Region.
In 2021, Somalia faced heightened political tensions, at times accompanied by violence, in the context of a delayed electoral process and power struggles at the leadership level.
A total of 7.7 million Somali women, men and children are estimated to require humanitarian assistance in 2022 according to the latest humanitarian update.
In partnership with Start fund, ACTED supported through two cycles of cash transfer 250 households, who were forcibly evicted from Las ‘Anod. This rapid response enabled the most vulnerable households to meet their basic needs, including food security, immediate shelter, and other basic essentials.
Supporting the resilience of Somali families through shocks
In 2021, in southern and central Somalia, conflict and insecurity spiked, driving cycles of displacement, disruptions to livelihood activities, and constraints on trade and humanitarian access in Las ‘Anod, where government actors required thousands of civilians to leave Las ‘Anod District on short notice
With 2.9 million people estimated to be internally displaced throughout the country, Somalia has one of the highest numbers of IDPs in the world.
| Mulki Adan is 22 years old, a young mother of two children. She got separated from her husband and was one of the families that were evicted from Las ‘Anod in October, 2021.
“While we were in the Las ‘Anod, my mother and I had small businesses to cover our family basic needs, but all that came to an end when the eviction occurred and we lost all of our properties and arrived in this IDP site empty handed with zero assets and properties” said Mulki.
Currently, Mulki and her two children live with her parents in Banjinay IDP Site, in Baidoa, with a family of 14 members including her and her two children. Mulki and her family were among many families that were forcibly displaced to Southwest Somalia. She noted that they had lost everything they had, including the father of her children, who was the primary provider for her family. |
ACTED’s impact through cas transfers in partnership with Startund
| Mulki was selected as a participant to ATED’s project funded by Start Fund and had chance to receive two-cycles of unconditional cash transfers of USD 65 each month, with a total of 130 USD.
“It was a turning point of our family, because through this ACTED assistance I can say we shifted from nothing to a good level”.
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Mulki said that since she had business initiatives in her minds after receiving the first cycle, she paid 40USD to build a small kiosk made of steel sheets and got a commodities loan from relatives to start her own kiosk within the IDP settlement. She saw a business opportunity in the area, and she now sells very basic needs like vegetables, sugar, rice, biscuits, spaghetti, and baby toys for income. She also said that, after the second cycle cash transfer, she bought solar charger for about USD 25 to charge mobile phones for 3000 SSH for each phone charged. “This kiosk is a really positive income boost to our family!” said Mulki
| Start fund provided two cycles of unconditional cash transfers to 250 households. In doing so, displaced people have gained increased access to basic necessities whilst also making some small savings. The cash transfers supported food security and enabled access to basic essential household and hygienic items, as well as strengthening protection of vulnerable individuals be reducing exposure to risks.
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| With this small business, Mulki and her family are now adapting their livelihoods and coping well in terms of basic family needs, as well creating income generating and saving for the future. Mulki concluded that all thanks go to ACTED and Start Fund, who supported them in their time of need.
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