Mitigating the effects of prolonged droughts and conflict through cash support to the affected communities
The number of people affected by drought in Somalia has more than doubled since the beginning of 2022 as the country grapples with successive failed rainy seasons. The protracted drought has claimed the lives and livelihoods of many people and the risk of famine (IPC Phase 5) remains imminent as more people require humanitarian assistance; the UN putting the number to more than 7 million people! In Galmudug State, conflicts and displacements are worsening the already dire situation created by the drought.
It is against this backdrop that CPD, with the support of Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH), is implementing integrated projects in Galmudug State, prioritising the most vulnerable members of the society mainly women, children, people living with disabilities, sick elders, lone elders, orphans and minority clans. In Adado district, each of the 423 households that met the CPD’s stringent selection criteria received monthly cash of $ 110 for four months (Sept. – Nov. 2022 and February 2023) before it was upscaled and additional 648 was added, receiving the support for three more months (March – April 2023). The households were selected from Haradhere, Bari, Daryeel and Heeb IDP camps in Adado town. The cash was delivered through mobile money transfer and women were majorly registered to receive the cash on behalf of their families.
A post distribution monitoring done by CPD revealed that the cash made it possible for families to get three meals in a day and also diversified their food dietary. The monitoring concluded that the cash relief helped mitigate the negative consequences of increased food prices as an aftermath of the COVID-19 and Russia/Ukraine conflicts.
Community participation was promoted throughout the project implementation phases to improve targeting, accountability and transparency of the interventions. A toll free number was also provided with the community where they shared their feedback throughout the implementation further improving the project’s engagement with the communities.