quARTERLy AcTIvITy REpORT Somalia · including reproductive health services for displaced families,...

issue 03: july - SEPTEMBER 2013

iOM KNOWs THe NeeDs AND OPPORTuNiTies

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THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM) KNOWS THE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WE ARE THEREIOM is present in 8 locations across Somalia. Our skilled and experienced staff are trained to adapt to situations and resolve crises as they arise, all the while working in cooperation with authorities and partners. This ensures that any support to IOM leads to results exactly where they are needed.

SUPPORT IOM IN SOMALIA

contact: [email protected]

SomaliaT H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L O R G A N I Z AT I O N F O R M I G R AT I O N ( I O M )

ISSuE 03: JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013quARTERLy AcTIvITy REpORT

www.iom.int

issue 03: july - SEPTEMBER 2013 issue 03: july - SEPTEMBER 2013

iOM KNOWs THe NeeDs AND OPPORTuNiTiesiOM KNOWs THe NeeDs AND OPPORTuNiTies

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CONTENTS

ACkNOwLEdGEMENTSSpecial thanks: IOM Somalia project Development unitcontributors: Livelihoods unit, Mixed Migration Department & Assisted voluntary Return and Reintegration unit (AvRR), Migration Health Division (MHD), capacity Building for Migration Management (cBMM), Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) Editor(s): IOM Somalia public Information unitconceptualization: Mary-Sanyu Osire

ACRONyMS

AvRR: Assisted voluntary Return and Reintegration

cBMM: capacity Building for Migration Management

IDps: Internally displaced persons

FFp: Food for peace

MIDA: Migration for Development in Africa

MHD: Migration Health Division

MM: Mixed Migration

MRc: Migration Response centre

MIDA: Migration for Development in Africa

pHAST: participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation

PAGES

4 IOM’s pRESENcE IN SOMALIA

5 cHIEF OF MISSION’S STATEMENT

6 TALkING FIGuRES

8 LATEST NEwS

14 cASE STuDy

16 MEET OuR pARTNERS

18 pHOTO GALLERy

20 MEET THE TEAM

22 pHOTO STORy REpORT

PHOTO 1: IOM is one of few organizations that are on the ground, in Dhobley, assessing the quality of basic services that are available, in order to implement strong evidence-based programmes. © IOM 2013 (photo: Omar khare)

PHOTO 2: To date, IOM’s Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) programme has embedded 149 Somali technical consultants from the diaspora within institutions across Somalia, on short-term skills transfer assignments. © IOM 2013 (photo: Mary-Sanyu Osire)

PHOTO 3: IOM’s livelihoods project is designed to increase chances of employment, and share entrepreneurial skills with vulnerable IDps and members of host communities. © IOM 2013 (photo: Intersos)

PHOTO 4: IOM runs mass information campaigns sensitizing vulnerable populations and sharpening public awareness amongst Somalis on the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking. © IOM 2013 (photo: celeste Hibbert)

IOM OPERATES IN SOMALIA wITH THANkS TO OUR dONORS

PHOTO ON THE FRONT COVER: IOM’s Senior Health programme Officer, Hussein Hassan, interviews a fisherman, in order to gather data that the Joint united Nations Team on HIv and AIDS (JuNTA) is using, to inform a ground breaking study on HIv and AIDS in Somalia. © IOM 2013 (photo: celeste Hibbert)

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PHOTO CREDITS


iOM KNOWs THe NeeDs AND OPPORTuNiTies

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OPERATIONAl AREAS

OFFICE LOCATIONS• coordination Office in Nairobi

• Mogadishu

• Hargeisa, Somaliland

• Bosasso, puntland

• Garowe, puntland

OTHER PRESENCE IN SOMALIA• South Central, incl. Jubaland: Dhobley,

Doolow, Luuq, Baidoa, Beledwayne, Gabaharey, kismayo, Afgooye, Jowhar

• Somaliland: Zeylac, Lawaydo, Borama, wajale, Berbera, Burco

• Puntland: qardo, Eyl, Galkayo

NUMBER OF STAFF• Over 300

Hargeisa

Berbera

Bossaso

Garowe

Mogadishu

Kismaayo

Dollow

Dhobley

IOM Somalia Field Sub-Office

Satellite Office

Sub Office

South Central

Ethiopia

Indian Ocean

Gulf of Aden

Djibouti

Yemen

Kenya

Puntland

Somaliland

IOM’s PRESENCE IN SOMALIA

MIGRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL IN SOMALIA

“IOM has well-trained, culturally-sensitive, flexible, enthusiastic and friendly programme Support Officers at their field-offices and sub-offices, which helps to enhance the efficiency of work, and this is very important in an environment like Somalia where the ground shifts very fast.”

These are the words of Dahir Abdirahman Abdi, a programme Manager with one of our implementing partners.

with thanks to our donors, we are present in eight strategic locations across Somalia, ensuring any support to IOM leads to results exactly where they are needed. yet sadly, due to budgetary constraints, many thousands of Somalis are still out of IOM’s reach.

IOM’s Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) programme facilitates the transfer of skills from Somali diaspora experts back to Somalia; the Transition Initiatives for Stabilization (TIS) programme builds confidence in Government institutions; while the Livelihoods programme contributes towards community stabilization, improved living conditions and reduced malnutrition.

In addition, the capacity Building in Migration Management (cBMM) programme builds the Government’s border management capacity; while the Assisted voluntary Return and Reintegration (AvRR) programme facilitates voluntary returns of Ethiopians from Somaliland and puntland back to Ethiopia. Finally, IOM Somalia contributes to the well-being of migrants and mobile populations through its Migration Health programme.

Our Organization is committed to improving its operations in Somalia, promoting evidence-based programming and working progressively towards strengthening national systems.

Inclusion fosters resilience and it empowers persons with odds stacked against them to take ownership of their own destiny – and that of their community.

Let us build an inclusive nation where persons in some of the hardest places to reach in Somalia can also access basic services that would allow them to play an even greater role as resourceful agents of change in their country.

IOM knows the needs and opportunities ... because we are there.

Ali Abdi chief of Mission IOM Somalia



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THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATIONBETWEEN JULY-SEPTEMBER 2013,

TALKING FIGURESA round up of our latest �gures

provided livelihood opportunities to more than 10,000 people across Somalia of which more than 60% were women and youth

provided life-saving healthcare to 6,000 IDPs, as well as water and sanitation services to over 60,000 vulnerable migrants and mobile populations and a�ected host communities per day in over 10 project locations across Somalia through evidence-informedprogrammes

provided capacity building for immigration and border management at 12 border points and immigration o�ces around Somalia, targeting 200 immigration officers

had 19 Somali diaspora technical experts posted on short term consultancies in 12 institutions across Somalia, and they conducted 40 knowledge and skills transfer workshops targeting 350 public servants.

assisted 123 stranded migrants in Somalia to voluntarily return and reintegrate back into their home country, and supported 2 Migration Response Centres in Hargeisa and Bosasso.

STOP!VIOLENCEAGAINST

WOMEN



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64 year old Hawa yusuf is among a group of six Ethiopian women who endured months of hardship in puntland after an unsuccessful attempt at crossing the Gulf of Aden. climbing over razor wire fences and taking to sea in leaking boats, the women intended to do whatever it would take to get to Europe through yemen. Human smugglers took advantage of the situation and left them with no identification papers or money.

“I wanted to join my children – they left for Europe many years ago, and I promised I would see them before I die,” Hawa said, with tears trickling down her cheeks.

with no place to turn, the women and four of their children aged 2, 3, 7 and 10 unsuccessfully sought asylum in puntland.

The stranded Ethiopians were returned home to Jijiga, Ethiopia in July by IOM, which has been working closely with humanitarian partners, the government of Ethiopia, and key actors in the puntland government and Somaliland government to facilitate assisted returns.

This year alone, IOM has supported the voluntary return of 52 Ethiopian migrants stranded in Somaliland and puntland.

Every year thousands of Ethiopian migrants try to cross the Gulf of Aden to reach yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states, mostly in search of work. According to the multi-agency regional Mixed Migration Task Force, in 2012 over 107,000 irregular migrants made the journey. Over 80 per cent came from Ethiopia.

A study conducted to assess the impact of IOM’s water, Sanitation and Hygiene (wASH) programme among some of the most vulnerable mobile populations in Somalia indicates remarkable progress with up to 34 per cent fewer diarrhea cases between April 2012 and March 2013.

The IOM wASH programme in Somalia is based on a public-private partnership that uses innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly technologies for clean and safe water provision, in parallel with hygiene promotion.

The study shows that during the period access to safe water increased from five to 12 litres per person per day in Mogadishu.

As a result of hygiene promotion, open defecation cases dropped by 81 per cent and the irresponsible disposal of babies’ faeces by 62 per cent in Burao. In Garowe observed cases of people dipping their fingers into drinking water while drawing it fell by 85%.

The past two decades of conflict has resulted in a huge deterioration of water, sanitation and hygiene across Somalia. Ongoing displacement is increasing pressure on already over-extended wASH infrastructure.

According to the uN, in 2012 only an estimated 30 per cent of Somalia’s population had access to safe and clean water. IOM’s wASH programme in Somalia is funded by the governments of Japan and France.

PHOTO ABOVE: The stranded Ethiopians had an IOM staff member by their side throughout the journey back home. © IOM 2013 (photo: Askar Dayib Abdirahman)

LATEST NEwS

PUNTLANd SOUTH CENTRAL

ETHIOPIAN FAmIlIES STRANDED IN PUNTlAND SAFELy RETURN HOME

IOm CONTRIBUTES TO CUT IN wATER-BORNE dISEASES AmONg mOBIlE POPUlATIONS IN SOmAlIA

PUNTLANd

PHOTO BELOw: The study was conducted in collaboration with local implementing partners. © IOM 2013 (photo: koji kumamaru)

SOUTH CENTRAL



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Soaring unemployment in Somaliland, espe-cially among school-leavers and university graduates, has fuelled an increase in irregular migration, drug addiction and conflict, accord-ing to a study conducted by the Somaliland National youth Organization (SONyO).

“we are not incompetent. we are not lazy. we want to continue our education, receive employment training and participate productively in the workforce. But we are hampered by a lack of opportunity. we leave the country because we must survive,” says Ismail Said Ahmed, one of 20 students who have been selected for an intensive soft-skills and internship training being run by Somaliland authorities with support from IOM.

The Japanese-funded 7-month training and internship programme, which was launched in Borama, a border-town between Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somaliland, will place graduate students in challenging, paid internship assignments with Somaliland local and regional authorities and private companies.

IOM, in collaboration with local authorities, youth service organizations, and local educational institutions is planning to scale up similar training programmes across Somaliland, puntland, and the entire Somalia region. Another 20 students will be selected for the training and internship in Burao, Somaliland in coming weeks.

Residents of the Jowle settlement for internally displaced people (IDps) located on the outskirts of Garowe city have started flocking to a health centre and a system of mobile clinics established by IOM and puntland’s Ministry of Health (MoH) in May 2013.

Around 3,000 people have already benefited since the new services were established, averaging some 75 patients per day.

The Japanese-funded health facilities provide essential primary health care services including reproductive health services for displaced families, comprising of routine consultations, safe motherhood services, control of communicable diseases and Expanded programme on Immunization (EpI).

“In the past I developed complications that the traditional midwife was not able to resolve. I was in pain, but could not afford to go to the

private hospital several kilometres away. Now I can go to the midwife at the mobile clinic,” says Mariam Nur Salah, 42, who lives at Jowle.

“we value IOM’s collaboration with puntland’s Ministry of Health in providing services to the most vulnerable people in IDp settlements. The services reduce the burden on the government hospital in the city and this initiative should be a model for future health facilities,” says Dr Abdirizak Hersi Hassan, the Director General of puntland’s Ministry of Health.

IOM, in collaboration with the Ministry, is establishing similar health facilities and mobile clinics in other locations in Somalia and is expected to eventually expand the programme to reach another 100,000 IDps, migrants, returnees, pastoralists as well as affected host communities.

PUNTLANd

IOm-OPERATED HEALTH CENTRE, MOBILE CLINICS BENEFIT THOUSANDS OF DISPlACED IN PUNTlAND

PHOTO ABOVE: The doctors and nurses are provided by puntland’s Ministry of Health. © IOM 2013 (photo: kaoi Nakasa)

PUNTLANd

SOMALILANd

PHOTO BELOw: Daihei Mochizuki, (in blue jacket) programme Manager of the Livelihoods unit, inspects a carpentry shop run by one of the youth that was trained by IOM. © IOM 2013 (photo: SypN)

SOMALiLANd IOm mOvES TO TACKlE HIgH yOUTH UNEMPLOyMENT IN SOmAlIlAND



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Solar partners company Limited, a Japanese company, has initiated a unique social contribution partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Every time a customer in Japan installs a household solar panel through Solar partners’ service, the company shall donate to IOM the same amount of cost for buying a solar lantern and shipping it to Somalia (approximately uSD 35). The company aims to donate a total of 1,000 solar lanterns to vulnerable migrants and mobile populations in Somalia.

Since December 2012, IOM Somalia has been distributing solar lanterns to protect vulnerable women in Internally Displaced persons (IDp) settlements from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBv) and domestic

violence. A study on the effectiveness of lights to reduce SGBv cases in IDp settlement is on-going and results will be issued in December 2013.

The prevalence of gender-based violence (GBv) in Somalia, including rape, is reported to be one of the highest in the world. In particular, migrants and mobile persons such as internally displaced persons (IDps) are vulnerable to GBv due to lack of protection, a situation which is aggravated by the insecure environment in which they live.

This partnership with Solar partners company Limited is one of several collaborations IOM has with the private sector and it symbolizes IOM’s innovative public-private partnership in Somalia.

PUNTLANd, SOMALILANd ANd SOUTH CENTRAL

PHOTO BELOw: At Al Adalla internally displaced persons (IDp) settlement in Mogadishu, Somalia, two girls wear new clothes provided by IOM as part of a ‘dignity kit’ and hold a panasonic solar lantern also distributed by IOM with support from the Government of Japan. © IOM 2013 (photo: Deeq M. Afrika)

PUNTLANd, SOMALiLANd ANd SOUTH CENTRAL

ETHIOPIAN FAmIlIES IN SOmAlIlAND HElPED TO SAFELy RETURN HOME

SOMALILANd

PHOTO BELOw: vulnerable migrants continue to move from the Horn of Africa to yemen and beyond through well-established smuggling and trafficking networks in the region. © IOM 2013 (photo: celeste Hibbert)

SOMALiLANdvulnerable migrants continue to move from the Horn of Africa to yemen and beyond through well-established smuggling and trafficking networks in the region. The motivations for these irregular movements are varied, but the common theme is one of hardship and danger in which migrants face abuse and often become stranded.

In September, a group of 71 Ethiopian migrants were assisted by IOM to return home from Hargeisa, Somaliland to Jijiga, Ethiopia and then to their final destinations.

The migrants were selected as some of the most vulnerable who were unable to continue their intended journey to yemen, and who

had opted to return home in Ethiopia. They endured months of hardship at the hands of unscrupulous smugglers.

This year alone, IOM with funding from the u.S. State Department’s Bureau for population, Migration and Refugees (pRM), has supported the voluntary return of 123 Ethiopian migrants stranded in Somaliland and puntland.

craig Murphy, IOM’s Regional Mixed Migration coordinator states: “IOM continues to identify abuse and exploitation related to smuggling and trafficking of human beings in the Horn of Africa and yemen. A lot more can be done; resources are our only limitation.”

IOm SOmAlIA AND SOlAR PARTNERS COmPANy mOvE TO AvERT SExUAL vIOLENCE CRIME IN SOmAlIA THROUgH INNOvATIvE SOCIAl CONTRIBUTION SySTEm



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Case

studyTo see patients brought in, in chains on their first day and then a few months later come back on their own; that was the most rewarding gift ever.

Salma*, originally from Somaliland but currently a Canadian national, talks of an assignment she just completed at the Puntland Agency for Social Welfare (PASWE). She was deployed by Somali authorities, IOM and UNDP to build the capacity of PASWE officials, through the ‘Qualified Expatriate Somali Technical Support – Migration for Development in Africa’ (QUESTS-MIDA) programme.

This is the home that was once destroyed, and I am now back to rebuild it. I left Somaliland 19 years ago. My departure was the tragedy of my youth; I missed my friends and family. I met many kind people in canada, but still struggled to adjust to a new home.

I am trained as a counselor in the field of mental health care, and I have always yearned to use my skills to help support the rebuilding of my country.

Through some friends, I learned about a programme run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and uNDp that takes Somali experts living in the diaspora back home, on short-term consultancies, for the purpose of building the technical capacity of civil servants. The programme facilitates the transfer of skills, knowledge and experience from qualified Somali diaspora experts to public sector institutions.

I signed up, and was assigned to the puntland Agency for Social welfare (pASwE) as a counselling psychologist.

In Somalia, following years of violence, many families are traumatized by their experiences. The services psychologists offer are essential for the healing of this nation’s wounds, but the number of people that need this support far outweighs the number of psychologists that are available.

To see patients brought in, in chains on their first day and then a few months later come back on their own; that was the most rewarding gift ever.

At pASwE, one of the first things I noticed was that many mentally ill people could not afford to buy their prescribed medicine. Alongside a team of other counsellors, we successfully lobbied for free medication from organizations like the world Health Organization and GRT, an Italian international organization.

I also trained 12 nurses and university students on the basics of psychology, the development of a data collection system, advocating mental health issues, and community sensitization.

HEALING A NATION’S wOUNdS:

© IOM 2013 (photo: celeste Hibbert)

IOM and partners conducted an information campaign on the International youth Day, around the theme ‘youth Migration: Moving Development Forward’. The event took place in Garowe, puntland on 12 August 2013. The Ministry of Labour, youth and Sports (MoLyS) arranged an outstanding gathering at the parliament Hall which drew participation from representatives of youth-serving organizations (ySOs), community leaders, Ministers, the parliament, local government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the united Nations (uN).

The event kicked off with a colourful match along the streets of Garowe, and culminated in a fiercely-competed football tournament. Supported by IOM’s capacity Building for

Migration Management (cBMM) department, Migration Health Division (MHD) and Mixed Migration (MM) Department, the main agenda of the event was to address irregular migration and its consequences including human trafficking and sexual violence.

Hussein Hassan, Head of Sub-Office IOM Garowe, addressed the youth and re-iterated the nexus between irregular migration, human trafficking, sexual violence and HIv.

IOM also encouraged the Government to strengthen sustainability of youth-centred projects and programmes through different means, like factoring in youth projects into the national budget; engaging the private sector in youth empowerment projects; and creation of livelihood opportunities.

IOm PUSHES FOR POSITIvE AlTERNATIvES TO IRREGULAR MIGRATION, HUMAN TRAFFICkING ANd SExUAL vIOLENCE

PHOTO ABOVE: On the 2013 International youth Day, IOM and partners called on Somali youth to be aware of the dangers of human trafficking. © IOM 2013 (photo: Omar Mohamed)

PUNTLANd



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How is IOM Somalia working with ASEP to improve the well-being of migrants, mobile populations, and their host communities?

In partnership with IOM Somalia, ASEp provides clean and safe water in parallel with hygiene promotion to some of Somalia’s most vulnerable mobile populations, and their host communities. Through these activities, we are making remarkable progress towards reducing water-borne diseases in Somalia.

ASEp operates across Gedo Region in southern Somalia, and are currently partnering with IOM in three IDp settlements: Balanbaalle I & II, Aljazeera in Luuq town, and kabasa IDp camp in Dollow town.

clean and safe water is provided through a water treatment facility that purifies high turbid water using Japanese flocculation technology “poly-Glu” and disinfects the water with chlorination.

How many other organizations has ASEP partnered with, and against that backdrop what would you say IOM Somalia’s comparative advantages are?

Not many local organizations have the level of capacity that we do, and as such, we are a preferred partner for many international organizations that implement projects and programmes in Somalia.

In comparison to many of the organizations we have partnered with, IOM has well-trained, culturally-sensitive, flexible, enthusiastic and friendly programme Support Officers at their field-offices & sub-offices, which helps to enhance the efficiency of work, and this is very important in an environment like Somalia where the ground shifts very fast.

Why is collaboration and partnership so important, for organizations like IOM that operate in Somalia?

Somalia has differences in context and the ground in this country shifts very fast. If an organization intends to implement sustainable projects and programmes that communities will take ownership of, it is imperative that partnerships with highly qualified local NGOs that understand the cultural dimension

and have credibility in the eyes of local authorities, community leaders and beneficiaries should be forged.

Furthermore, owing to security concerns in certain areas, it is much easier for Somali nationals to monitor projects and programmes, than it would be for a foreigner.

MEET OUR PARTNERS

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What are some of the biggest challenges of mobile and migrant populations, and their host communities in hard-to-reach areas across Somalia?

There are a few people that can deny that in hard-to-reach areas across Somalia, there are no big or small challenges – almost everything seems to be a major concern because very few organizations are present to offer sustainable support to local communities and government initiatives.

we specialize in provision water, Sanitation and Hygiene (wASH) activities, and this is because the past two decades of conflict resulted in deterioration of the water and sanitation situation across Somalia, weakening communities’ social structures and coping mechanisms. The continued internal displacement of population adds increasing pressure on an already overextended wASH infrastructure. According to a report released by wHO and uNIcEF, in 2012, only an estimated 30 per cent of Somalia’s population had access to safe and clean water.

What has been the foremost success of IOM’s partnership with ASEP?

we have enjoyed innumerable successes. If I was to narrow it down to two things, I would say targeting more than 10,000 people with provision of clean and safe water to on a daily basis, and realizing a marked improvement in the community’s general hygiene and sanitation, which has led a reduction in water-borne diseases.

Moving forward, how do you think the partnership between ASEP and IOM will evolve over the next few years?

Over the next few years, I foresee a situation where ASEp and IOM will no longer be needed in Somalia. Every day, our government’s institutions are being strengthened, and local communities are displaying more resilience than they ever have. Soon, Somalis will handle their own matters without assistance from organizations like ours.

In the mid-term, I see ASEp and IOM strengthening the sustainability components of our wASH programme, and reaching more of Somalia’s vulnerable mobile populations and their host communities.

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IOM’s water, Sanitation and Hygiene (wASH) programme is based on a unique public-private partnership (ppp) that utilizes innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly technologies for clean and safe water provision in parallel with hygiene promotion. Today, across Somalia, IOM is providing clean and safe water more than 44,000 people every day, meeting the minimum requirement of the Somalia wASH cluster.

We speak to Dahir Abdirahman Abdi, Programme Manager at Action for Social and Economic Progress (ASEP), IOM’s implementing partner in Gedo Region, Somalia.

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Every year, IOM and partners commemorate Global Handwashing Day in Somalia. © IOM 2013 (photo: GSA)

A water tank is set up at kabasa IDp settlement by the community, IOM and partners. © IOM 2013 (photo: kaoi Nakasa)

IOM conducts regular trainings for its implementing partners. © IOM 2013 (photo: Abdulkadir Ahmed)



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PHOTO 1: Today, IOM is providing clean, safe and hygienic water to more than 60,000 people every day, meeting the minimum requirement of the Somalia wASH cluster. © IOM 2013 (photo: File)

PHOTO 2: In July 2013, six immigration officers from Hargeisa, Berbera & wajale undertook a training-of-trainers course on the use of personal Identification & Registration System (pIRS), an IOM border-management software. A similar training was conducted for immigration officers in puntland and South central. © IOM 2013 (photo: Mohamoud Abokor)

PHOTO 3: 300 women and men with limited sources of income recently benefitted from a cash-for-work activity IOM held at karaan and Hodan Districts in Mogadishu, targeting internally displaced persons and host communities. prior to undertaking the project, all participants were trained on basic first aid, and safety guidelines. © IOM 2013 (photo: wOccA)

PHOTO 4: Somali diaspora experts, supported by IOM’s Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) programme, are returning home on short-term consultancies to strengthen the capacity of institutions. In addition to their day-to-day jobs as technical experts, they provide on-the-job training, particularly on the latest techniques and best ways of providing services with the aim of ensuring sustainability. © IOM 2013 (photo: IOM)

PHOTO 5: Hamidah Hassan, 10 years old, would like to be a doctor when she grows up. Every night, she uses a solar lantern she received from IOM to do her homework in a makeshift shelter she shares with her family at Al-cadaala IDp settlement in Mogadishu, Somalia. IOM in conjunction with panasonic company is distributing lanterns in non-electrified IDp settlements across Somalia, in an effort to fight gender-based violence (GBv). © IOM 2013 (photo: Sharazad Dalel)

PHOTO 7: IOM’s skills training project for conflict-affected and displaced people in and around Banadir Region (Mogadishu) was established to increase chances of employment, and share entrepreneurial skills with vulnerable people including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBv). The Livelihoods Department’s programme manager, Daihei Mochizuki (in blue jacket) tastes food prepared by some of the participants. © IOM 2013 (photo: SOcw E)

PHOTO 8: puntland’s Ministry of Health and IOM are providing essential primary health care services to internally displaced persons (IDps) in Jowle IDp Settlement, Garowe. Targeting 10,000 vulnerable residents, the Japanese-funded health facility and mobile clinics were opened in May 2013. © IOM 2013 (photo: kaoi Nakasa)

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PHOTO GALLERy

PHOTO 6: To strengthen transparency and accountability, IOM conducts regular field monitoring assessments cross Somalia. In this photo, Barrack Okeyo, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (in blue shirt), talks to the Manager of the Bossaso Seaport, Abdi Ade (in red shirt). IOM has provided immigration management equipment, personal Identification Registration Systems (pIRS) and workstations to the Bossaso Immigration Training centre and Bossaso Seaport. © IOM 2013 (photo: Mohamoud Abokor)



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Comparative advantages: Currently, IOM Somalia’s programmes and activities are funded by several donors, including USAID, Government of Japan through its supplementary budget, Common Humanitarian Fund CHF for Somalia, Ministry Foreign Affairs France, UNDP, Government of Finland, U.S. Department of State, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA, and a number of organizations in the private sector. What comparative advantages make IOM Somalia a preferred recipient of donor funds?

First, IOM Somalia attaches a lot of importance to demonstrating results. we are able to do this through our rigorous implementation and monitoring system. we use ‘third party staff mechanism’ that allows us to directly monitor program activities in some of the hardest-to-reach areas of Somalia.

In addition to third party staff, we also enhance our effectiveness by working closely with local Somali NGOs whom we refer to as ‘implementing partners’. These NGOs comprise of highly qualified Somali nationals who are well acquainted with the country’s socio-cultural fabric, are well versed with technical policies, and have a track record of delivering on results.

Also, IOM Somalia is an eclectic organization. we work in various service areas such as community Stabilisation, community and Economic Development, Migration Health,

Technical cooperation on Migration Management, and livelihoods support for Internally Displaced persons. This enables us to work with a cross-section of donors.

Furthermore, we enjoy overwhelming support from beneficiaries, local authority and government officials. This is primarily because we work closely with the community and involve them in all decisions that we make about the programmes and activities we run in their towns. This multi-layered goodwill is critical, because it greatly enhances our Organization’s ability to deliver on set goals and targets.

we have also begun systematically to strengthen log frames and to use economic analysis through the programme reporting cycle. This has resulted in a higher burden of proof that interventions are maximising impact for the money spent, based on a clearer understanding of the unit costs of delivery.

Improving procurement has also been prioritised in IOM Somalia, by strengthening staff capacity on procurement, better training, and attention to minimising costs of programme management.

Innovative approach to resource mobilization: Resource mobilisation is more than just fundraising – it is about getting a range of resources, from a wide range of resource providers (or donors), through a number of different mechanisms. One innovative approach IOM Somalia has taken is establishing public-private partnerships with organizations like Japanese electronics giant

MEET THE TEAM:

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© IOM 2013 (photo: Mary-Sanyu Osire)

Panasonic and water treatment corporations like Poly-Glu Social Business Co. Ltd. What successes have you registered so far?

IOM Somalia has so far succeeded at establishing public-private partnerships with three private companies in Japan. with financial support from the Government of Japan, we teamed up with panasonic, to reduce gender-based violence in internally displaced persons (IDps) settlements in Somalia through provision of panasonic solar lanterns. within the project, panasonic donated funds to conduct an epidemiological study to build a scientific case to explore the effectiveness of solar lanterns on reduction in insecurity and GBv, increase in educational opportunities, and protection in the environment. To support this initiative, another Japanese company, Solar partners co. Ltd. joint us, by donating funds for solar lanterns to be distributed in IDps settlements. A total of 3,350,000 Japanese yen or approximately uSD 34,000 have been secured so far and it is expected this amount will be increased. In addition, we have partnership with poly-Glu Social Business co. Ltd which invented environmentally-friendly water flocculation technology. we are using their innovative technology in riverine areas throughout Somalia, in order to provide safe water to reduce water-borne disease such as diarrhoea among vulnerable populations.

Strategic presence: Where in Somalia does IOM have presence?

Recognising Somalia’s differences in context and opportunities and responding to varying and changeable circumstances including opportunities which arise in areas recovered from insurgent control, we have 3 field-sub offices and 4 smaller satellite offices across Somalia.

The field sub-offices are in Hargeisa, Bossaso and Garowe, while the smaller satellite offices are located in Berbera, Dollow, Dhoble and kismayo.

In order to strengthen our presence on the ground and enable us work more closely with all stakeholders, plans are underway to relocate our coordination office from Nairobi to Mogadishu.

Third party staff: IOM Somalia works closely with ‘third party staff’. What does this term mean, and what is the strategic importance of this operational framework?

‘Third party staff’ refers to highly qualified Somali staff recruited through an independent human resource organization that manages staff working in Somalia, on behalf of our organization.

This is strategic, because Somali nationals who are well versed with local culture and have established credibility in the eyes of beneficiaries, community leaders and government authorities are able to effectively implement and closely monitor projects in some of Somalia’s hardest-to-reach areas.

In addition to third party staff, we work with like-minded and highly qualified Somali implementing partners in support of a coherent approach to development and humanitarian issues in Somalia.

Gaps: Are there programmatic gaps, and if so, how would IOM Somalia address them with adequate funding?

The simple answer is yes. Humanitarian assistance is often seen as a short-term intervention with short planning cycles. However, the place of durable solutions cannot be understated. Sustainable development is a multi-faceted phenomenon and as we focus on rebuilding the lives and restoring the livelihoods of displaced persons in Somalia, the work we are doing is increasingly building that crucial bridge between humanitarian relief and longer-term development assistance.

water scarcity and climate change-induced displacement, for example, demonstrate how interconnected humanitarian challenges can drive vulnerabilities in Somalia. Another example is the under-emphasized need for local ownership through awareness raising and continuous dialogue.

Given adequate funding, we would be able to adopt a holistic approach that increases resilience and improves underlying security to crises; boosting the human, physical, mental, social and economic wellbeing of our beneficiaries.

Challenges: What are some of the challenges of operating in an environment like Somalia?

Somalia is one of the most difficult environments in the world in which to undertake project implementation, with conflict and security presenting significant challenges to our partners and particularly to direct monitoring by IOM staff.

Furthermore, there’s a lack of local resources, lack of banking systems, a limited number of reliable suppliers, sub-standard quality of goods and services, importing goods and services takes time, a limited number of trained local human resources, amongst others.

Addressing the challenges we have control over is an immediate priority and one on which we have already scaled up our efforts.

5 years from now: Moving forward, where do you see IOM Somalia five years from now?

From a string of smaller projects, we would like to transform to a small number of larger and more coherent programmes.

we will continue to offer leadership in Somalia and across the Horn of Africa on the broad areas of border and migration management.

In line with priorities outlined in the ‘New Deal for Somalia’, we will champion effective border management; we will strengthen capacity of local authorities through skills-transfer workshops; we will promote the well-being of migrants; we will cater for safe and dignified movement of migrants stranded in Ethiopia; and provide livelihoods assistance for people on the move and their host communities.Q

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An interview with Shamel Mahoomdi, IOM Somalia’s Resource Management Officer

© IOM 2013 (photo: kaoi Nakasa)



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PHOTO STORy REPORT

Twenty-three years of conflict forced a large proportion of the Somali population out of the country.

Somali diaspora experts, supported by IOM’s Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA) program, are drafting policies and creating the structure for more robust and responsive Somali institutions. One of the projects, set up in 2009, qualified Expatriates Somali Technical Support – MIDA (quESTS-MIDA), provides a platform for this.

“For the past 20 years, I had listened to friends tell me how Somalia had failed. Something new is being created, and it needs care and guidance. The government cannot do it all by themselves,” adds Dr Luul Hussein, a quESTS-MIDA participant at Somaliland’s National Health professional council.

Today, peace in the country is improving and government institutions are being strengthened.

“we work closely with quESTS-MIDA to identify areas that can benefit from specialized skills. Assignments are matched according to the priorities of public institutions,” says Burhan Elmihersi (on the left), Deputy Minister of Environment, wildlife and Tourism, and Member of the puntland State of Somalia cabinet.

MIDA encourages women to invest their skills and their hearts into the development of their home countries,” says a female participant in Mogadishu.

CHANGING THE NARRATIvE: DIASpORA ENGAGEMENT FOR SuSTAINABLE DEvELOpMENT IN SOMALIA

One example of where the Somali diaspora is making tangible impacts in Somaliland is the Hargeisa Group Hospital.

Today, the Hargeisa Group Hospital has five units that were created as a result of the presence of Somali diaspora medical professionals.

The Somali diaspora medical professionals work with IOM and organizations like the world Health Organization to bring the latest equipment to the hospital.

Frantz celestin, MIDA Somalia programme Manager, stresses: “Despite the potential for Somali diaspora to play a positive role in their country of origin, there has to be a balanced approach. The returning diaspora cannot be seen as displacing, replacing, or taking the jobs of those who stayed put throughout the conflict.”

prior to their arrival, the hospital was severely understaffed.

In addition to doing their day-to-day job as medical professionals, they provide on-the-job training for young Somali doctors.

As a result, the hospital is getting more and more patients as word gets out that it is providing better services than many private healthcare centres.

To-date, MIDA has embedded 149 technical consultants from the diaspora within institutions across Somalia, on short-term skills transfer assignments. © IOM 2013

© IOM 2013 (photos: Mary-Sanyu Osire)

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IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As the leading international organization for migration, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: Assist in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management; Advance understanding of migration issues; Encourage social and economic development through migration; uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.

IoM Somalia Coordination office in Nairobi, gitanga groove – off gitanga road, tel: +254 20 292 6000, po Box 1810-00606, Nairobi, Kenya

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