Somalia: Empowering Internally Displaced Persons through multipurpose cash assistance

The Badioa district, which hosts a significant number of Internally Displaced Persons, has witnessed the devastating impact of the past heavy rains in October 2023, resulted by El-Nino induced floods affecting over 247,000 people in Baidoa town.[2] The floods had exacerbated the challenges already faced by IDPs and the floodwaters had caused severe damage to infrastructure and shelters. With their makeshift shelters destroyed and their limited resources washed away, the situation for displaced people has significantly worsen.

Acted has been implementing a BHA/USAID-funded project to provide life-saving support to more than 500,000 individuals affected by drought, floods and conflict in Somalia. The project aims to prevent and mitigate the impact of displacement, including in hard-to-reach areas,​ through a multisectoral approach with Humanitarian Coordination Information Management and Assessment (HCIMA)​, Multipurpose-Cash Assistance (MPCA)​, Food Assistance (FA)​, and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)​ activities.

To respond to crises in a rapid manner, Acted, with the support of USAID, is providing lifesaving assistance to shock-affected vulnerable households to meet their basic needs. Acted is reaching most affected families including communities in hard-to-reach areas with multipurpose cash assistance through mobile money transfers in South West, Jubaland and Banadir. The cash assistance provided enables households to meet their basic needs, including shelter, non-food items, food, as well as any other self-determined critical need of individual households.

The provision of these cash transfers will also alleviate barriers to services and basic needs brought about by the loss of livelihoods in the aftermath of displacement and shocks. Additionally, it can contribute to reducing vulnerabilities and the incidence rates of negative coping mechanisms, specifically affecting girls, women and people with disabilities.

Madiino[3] is a 38-year-old mother raising 9 children. She fled from Biyooley village in the Bakool region in 2023 to Baidoa, in the Bay region as a result of the prolonged drought. Madiino and her family settled in Colcadey IDP camp, which is situated north of Baidoa, where they faced challenges to meet their basic needs. Every day, Madiino used to collect firewood and to carry it on her back, as a method of transportation, to then sell it in the market in order to cover the essential needs of her family.

From December 2023 and February 2024, Acted has provided MPCA assistance in Colcadey IDP site, and Madiino was among the beneficiaries who were supported with three cycles of 120 USD cash transfers totalling 360 USD.

With this cash assistance, Madiino managed to purchase daily meals for her family as well as essential items. She also saved some money and borrowed additional money from relatives to invest in a donkey cart.

Using the donkey cart, Madiino now transports water, firewood, stones for building, agricultural harvest, and is engaged in other income-generating activities. This has enabled her to earn approximately 5 to 8 USD per trip, helping her overcome the challenges posed by shocks and thus fostering resilience.

[1] https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/ipc-acute-food-insecurity-and-acute-malnutrition-analysis-january-june-2024-published-february-15-2024

[2] https://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/wash-cluster-somalia-2023-el-nino-rainfall-update-baidoa-flash-floods-6th-november-2023#:~:text=Since%20the%20onset%20of%202023,by%20El%2DNino%20flash%20floods

[3] The name has changed to protect the identity of the beneficiary.