An Islamic Relief programme which completes this month has saved and changed lives in South Central Somalia.
Some 40,000 people in the Banadir region have directly benefitted from the integrated programme, which delivered emergency aid as communities grappled with severe drought, famine and conflict. The scheme also enabled lasting positive change by offering livelihood support. It targetted mostly displaced women, children and older people in the Yaqshid and Wardhigley districts of Mogadishu.
Quality healthcare
Islamic Relief provided health professionals and essential medical supplies to meet the primary healthcare needs of around 30,000 people. We run the only health clinic in Daynile camp and also offer mobile clinics.
Some 2,000 mothers-to-be benefitted from access to basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and 1,500 malnourished children were treated through supplementary feeding. We also trained health workers and volunteers to raise awareness of breastfeeding and nutrition as well as how to halt the spread of water-borne diseases.
Safe water and sanitation
Tens of thousands were given safe drinking water. Supplies were trucked in to camps for internally displaced people, whilst we constructed new water sources and improved old ones. We also installed latrines benefitting about 1,200 displaced families and reached thousands of women with our activities to promote good hygiene.
Food and futures
Food security was a key area tackled by the programme. As well as providing monthly food parcels to 2,000 displaced families, we also engaged hundreds of people in cash-for-work opportunities – enabling them to earn a living and provide for their families.
Keeping children safe and empowering them to build brighter futures was core to our work. As well as creating Child Friendly Spaces in the camps so children can learn and play, we worked with teachers and community committees to increase awareness of child protection issues.
In addition, our education initiative in five Somali camps is providing hundreds of girls and boys with opportunities to learn – with specially renovated classrooms and textbooks and other school essentials.
Islamic Relief also prioritised disaster risk reduction. We worked with local people to raise their awareness and resilience in the face of future crises.
The comprehensive programme began in 2012, as part of a range of emergency and development schemes delivered by Islamic Relief in Somalia.