Relief & livelihood
Political turmoil and natural calamities have had a devastating effect on the livelihood of Somalis over the years, leading to 1,356,845 people being internally displaced (source: UNHCR). For many years, Somalia has been the scene of natural disasters, from severe floods to extreme droughts. These disasters directly affect the self-reliance of communities and access to primary education. According to the head of the UN refugee agency, the recent drought of 2011 has been the ‘worst humanitarian disaster’ in the world. In addition to natural catastrophes, Somalia has been unstable and insecure due to the civil war that started in 1991. Fighting militias have often hindered the distribution of food and medical aid to populations in need.
The tremendous impact of these calamities on the people in Somalia made HIRDA determined to provide relief services. Thanks to the support and donations of our partners Comic Relief, IDRF, HCI , ETWA, and the Somali diaspora community, HIRDA was able to respond immediately and provide relief to the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Somalia.
In this Relief Programme, HIRDA’s main objectives are to:
- Provide relief to internally displaced (IDPs) people through emergency operations.
- Make education accessible for IDPs.
- Provide sanitation facilities and access to clean water in IDP camps.