Somalia

Somalia is one of the poorest countries in the world, blighted by conflict raging in the south and centre of the country. Almost 20% of children are malnourished, and many die from preventable illnesses such as malaria and diarrhoea. There’s been no effective central government in Somalia for 19 years.

Save the Children in Somalia

During the 40 years we’ve worked in Somalia we’ve focused on improving access to healthcare, education and food for children and families.

In 2008, this work benefited almost 200,000 children.

Together with other NGOs, our advocacy work has focused on getting Western governments and the UN to concentrate on securing humanitarian space and access. Despite a precarious security situation, we’ve been able to continue our programmes in Puntland*, and to implement an emergency response project from the Hiran office. 

We’re improving children’s health

More than half of all child deaths in Somalia are due to diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections and malaria. Cholera also claims hundreds of lives each year.

Health centres in rural areas are barely functioning, so we’ve helped build and renovate clinics and train community health workers to staff them. We’ve also helped the local health administrations to implement an effective system for managing health records.

We’re focusing on reducing the number of children who die before they reach the age of five. Last year, our health work benefited 30,464 children.

We’re improving children’s food intake

The last three years have seen poor harvests and drought interspersed with floods. As a result, children’s malnutrition has reached critical levels. Rising food prices have made the situation worse. One in 20 children is severely malnourished and may die without specialist medical help.

We're helping vulnerable families get more regular access to food. Last year, in Karkaar and Hiran, more than 30,000 children benefited from our food security and livelihoods programme.

Over the next three years, we aim to reduce malnutrition for 162,000 children under five, and increase the number of children who have access to clean water by 20%.

We’re helping children get a good education

Schools and education systems were completely destroyed during the fighting and civil war that followed the 1991 coup. In 2006/07, only 30% of primary school-age children were enrolled. Only 17% of adults are literate.

Last year, we provided a good quality education for 146,076 children in Somaliland*, Puntland and Hiran. By 2010, we aim to help an extra 23,061 children (including 9,610 girls) gain access to basic education in 288 schools.

We’re helping children and families affected by conflict

We’re scaling up our response to hunger and malnutrition in Hiran, and are looking to set up new feeding and livelihoods programmes in Somaliland and Puntland. We’re also supporting Ethiopian refugees in Hargeisa.

Working with community-based partners, we’re providing water and sanitation to 30,000 people in Hiran, half of whom are children. We’re rehabilitating water sources and providing family hygiene kits. We’re also trucking water to 54,000 people from rural, pastoralist communities, whose water sources have dried up and who can’t afford to pay for water themselves.

For more detailed information about our work in Somalia

* Puntland is a region in north-east Somalia which has declared itself an autonomous state.

* Somaliland is an autonomous territory within Somalia, although its self-declared independence is not internationally recognised.

 

Somalia related news stories

Friday 18 September 2009 Somali children at risk as food shortages and fierce fighting deliver them a double blow
Growing numbers of malnourished children are struggling to survive.
Wednesday 26 March 2008 Somalia crisis deteriorates
Statement comes as UN Security Council members meet to discuss Somalia.
Monday 16 July 2007 Fleeing Somalia's conflict
We are helping thousands of families who have been affected by the ongoing conflict in Somalia and the flooding last year in north eastern Somalia and Kenya.
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