Helping vulnerable displaced persons in Baidoa

Insecurity, recurring natural disasters and large-scale displacements are increasing in Somalia. According to OCHA, the total number of IDPs currently amounts to 2.6 million people. As reported by the CCCM muster list, there are 436 IDP sites in Baidoa. Due to the very severe drought and insecurity, a lot of families fled from rural villages in Bay and Bakool to, most of the time, live in self-settled camps.

ACTED's project aims at providing integrated Emergency Support Through CCCM, WASH, protection and shelter interventions in IDPs (internally displaced persons) settlements in Baidoa. In settled camps, people live very close to one another, and use locally available materials such as worn out clothes, plastic and boxes to build make-shift shelters. Provision of basic necessities was essential to save their lives and restore their dignity.

Between August and September of 2019, and in 31 IDP camps, ACTED distributed:

3,828

Non-Food Items kits

486

Emergency Shelter Kits

Gamuro Hussein Kerrow, a 38 year-old mother of 5, lives in the Buul fuur IDP settlement in the Horsed village in Baidoa. In 2017 Gamuro’s family fled from Mool maad village because of the conflict, the drought and famine. Gumuro describes her journey as one of the most difficult time in her life. She explained she had to walk for 5 days, using donkey carts and carrying her young child on her back just to seek assistance and protection.

Upon arrival at the IDP settlement, my husband and I built a make-shift shelter from materials such as pieces of worn out clothes and paper bags.(…) We lived in small shelter, and we were really scared by the situation. It was very cold at night and very hot during the day, and we did not have lockable door.

Gamuro

Thanks to funds from the SHF, ACTED was able to provide support to the most vulnerable people – like Gamuro’s family – such as sleeping materials and domestic utensils to improve her and her family’s living conditions: they received a range of NFIs, including blankets, sleeping mats, cooking utensils, a solar lamp as well as shelter kit.

On behalf of my family, I thank ACTED and SHF for the support. We do not fear the rain anymore.(…) We also feel safer as we now stay in a lockable shelter with lighting.

Gamuro

ACTED staff talking to the beneficiaries at the IDP camp, Dec 2019

To tackle the humanitarian crises in Baidoa, ACTED implemented an integrated emergency support through CCCM, WASH, protection and shelter Interventions in 31 IDP settlements. The aim is to improve coordination and information management at site level; accountability through creation of CFM mechanism; to strengthen community participation mechanisms; and to improve living conditions. For the latter, it involves site maintenance interventions, sustainable access to water, hygiene, sanitation and capacity building.

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