SomReP - Somalia Resilience Program

Project completed

In the fragile and conflict affected context of Somalia, SDC’s contribution to the Somalia Resilience Programme Consortium enables pastoral, agro-pastoral, displaced persons and peri-urban poor to increase their ability to prepare for, adapt to and live through shocks without eroding their productivity or assets. Focusing on capacity building, livelihood diversification and the elaboration of community-based early warning systems, this initiative is complementary to ongoing efforts of government of Somalia and international community to build resilience of communities to climate shocks.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Somalia
Agriculture & food security
Humanitarian Assistance & DRR
Climate change and environment
Employment & economic development
Water
nothemedefined
Food security policy
Emergency food assistance
Agricultural services & market
Disaster risk reduction DRR
Informal banking & insurance
Water supply
01.04.2020 - 30.09.2024
CHF  9’096’500
Background

Over the last thirty years, Somalia has endured recurrent armed conflicts, economic and climatic shocks such as droughts resulting in erosion of productive assets and livelihood base of the population. This has created widespread poverty; with over half the country’s 12.5 million people living below the poverty line of USD 1.90[1]. Crop farmers and livestock keepers in rural areas have suffered most, leading to persistent food insecurity and vulnerability over the last decade.

As at September 2019 The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of The United Nations (UN) estimated that about 4.8million people in Somalia were in need of food assistance (under the Integrated Phase Classification-IPC). Of these, 1.2 million were in severe hunger while 3.6million were in stress situation. Pressure on rural livelihoods has led to increased displacements (2.6million internally displaced persons in Somalia in 2019[2]) into towns and urban cities.

Despite modest improvement in the governance environment, the state’s ability to deliver basic services remains weak. Switzerland’s contribution to SomReP program will go a long way to support rebuilding of livelihood assets, protection of communities from the impact of climate shocks and help in developing pathways for longer-term development through support to key sectors such as agriculture, water and business value chains. This will contribute to reduced pressure for displacement, which is in the Swiss interest.

 

[1] World Bank high frequency survey 2016.

[2] UNHCR operational update for Somalia, January 2019. 

Objectives To increase the resilience of chronically vulnerable Somali people, households, communities and systems to climatic shocks and other related risks in pastoral, agro-pastoral, internally displaced and peri-urban livelihood zones.
Target groups Pastoralists (7582 households), Agro-pastoralists (7909 households), peri-urban poor (5693 households), and IDPs (760 households) in Baido, El-afweyn, Afgoye and Eyl districts of Sanag, Bay, Lower Shabelle and Nugal regions respectively. A total of 131,664 persons (66,447 male and 65217 female) in 68 villages across the four districts.
Medium-term outcomes

1.    Improved capacity of households to implement effective disaster risk management and positive coping strategies to mitigate the immediate effect of exposure to shock(Absorptive capacities); 

2.    Improved capacity of individuals, households and communities to adhere to positive development trajectories (Adaptive capacities); 

3.    Improved capacity to engage in strategies for sustainable livelihoods and economic growth to enhance food security and resilience (Transformative capacities); 

4.    Transparent and accountable governance structures at community, district and national levels; 

5.    Programing, policy actions and decisions on resilience in Somalia informed through evidence based resilience research, learning and innovations.

Results

Expected results:  

1.    Communities develop and implement DRR/resilience plans;

2.    Early Warning/Early Action System strengthened; 

3.    Private Shock Responsive Safety Nets established and strengthened;

4.    Access to sustainable water improved for agricultural and domestic use;

5.    Livestock and agricultural production systems improved/strengthened; 

6.    Youth and Women supported to build their business, technical and vocational skills; 

7.    Capacity for Pastoralists and Farmers enhanced to improve production and competitiveness; 

8.    Formal financial linkages strengthened (Business Councils, Micro Finance Institutions and banks); 

9.    IDPs supported with durable solutions livelihoods; 

10.    Technical capacity of community and government institutions strengthened (governance institutions); 

11.    Early Warning & Early Action System and governance strengthened; 

12.    New knowledge is generated and Innovative solutions are identified to support resilience programming.


Results from previous phases:  

1.    Improved agricultural production for (agro) pastoral communities. Average 30% increase of cereal crop yields for SomReP target areas, with maize production recording an increase of 200kg/ha in 2019;

2.    Improved income: 35.3% of SomReP target households have diversified into two or more sources of income. Estimated 50% of SomReP supported cereal farmers on average earn about 2000 to 3000 USD annually through selling their crops.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Humanitarian aid
Project partners Contract partner
International or foreign NGO
Private sector
  • Other international or foreign NGO North
  • Foreign private sector South/East


Other partners

World Vision International-Somalia (Consortium Lead)

Consortium members are ACF, ADRA, OXFAM, COOPI, DRC, CARE

Coordination with other projects and actors Somalia Government Institutions (Nation &Regional), FAO, BRiCS consortium, IGAD regional resilience, Durable solutions Projects. 
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    9’096’500 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    8’730’324
Project phases Phase 6 01.10.2024 - 31.12.2025   (Current phase)

Phase 5 01.04.2020 - 30.09.2024   (Completed)

Phase 3 01.12.2016 - 28.02.2018   (Completed) Phase 2 01.11.2015 - 30.11.2016   (Completed) Phase 1 01.10.2014 - 30.09.2015   (Completed)