Hargeisa: Improving living conditions of internally displaced persons

With the support from UNHCR, ACTED provided camp coordination and camp management support to over 15 000 people living in displacement situation in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland region. Activities included improved communication, information management and enhanced community engagement.

On the latter, drought has worsened significantly across Somaliland following three consecutive below-average rainy seasons.

Improving living conditions of people in displacements

To improve access to life-saving services for displaced persons, ACTED delivered complete camp management assistance, site maintenance works such as reparation of roofs for flood prevention and installation of doors to enhance household security to over 15 000 households in 19 camps in Hargeisa.

Shabcan is a 41 years old mother of 4 children in Ayah 1 IDP of Hargeisa. Shabcan’s house was made of materials collected locally and it burned down on July 2021. Shabcan’s house was then rehabilitated through the site maintenance committees using site maintenance and improvement materials and supplies.

Shabcan told ACTED teams: “In this house I am living, initially it was made of materials collected locally including ragged clothes, plastic sheets etc. There was no door installed at all, and for this reason we used to cover them with small curtains that cannot prevent us from winds, cold and rains and other enemies as well.”

Conducting trainings to local population to improve living conditions on site

ACTED trained site maintenance committees and camp management committees on site maintenance standards and site planning to improve their knowledge and increase engagement within the camp. The site maintenance works improved household security and flood prevention.

After ACTED’s intervention in this IDP skilled and casual labors were selected, equiped with materials and given incentives to rehabilitate community selected sites.

“My house was among those suggested by the committee members and the community and the SMC members came to my house. They have constructed for me and my children a new house of one big room made of iron with a real door and windows. Some of the materials used to build the house were provided by ACTED to the committees. They have also rehabilitated a large number of other households and latrines” explained Shabcan.