Somaliland
HI started activities in Somaliland in 1992 by setting up a rehabilitation center in Hargeisa. HI’s strategy in Somaliland is to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities and to engage development actors in promoting inclusion and participation of people with disabilities at local and national levels.
Hargeisa, 2020. A Psychosocial Group Support Session (PSS) organized by HI in the IDP camp of Malawle. | © HI
Our actions
In Somaliland, Humanity & Inclusion supports people at risk in accessing protection, psychosocial and mental health support, health and functional rehabilitation, and works toward ensuring that humanitarian action is inclusive of people with disabilities and other populations at risk of exclusion.
For displaced and host populations, HI focuses on protection, psychosocial emergency aid and referrals to lifesaving services. The organization also provides functional and physical rehabilitation services to people with disabilities and stimulation therapy rehabilitation for children experiencing malnutrition. For individuals experiencing psychological distress, HI provides mental health and psychological support services and reinforces services to include people affected by crises.
HI provides support, resources and training to local and international humanitarian organizations to implement the IASC disability inclusive guidelines for more inclusive coordination data collection and programming.
Areas of intervention
Latest stories
Good news from HI in June: rehabilitation in Somaliland and Togo, economic inclusion in Venezuela.
Somaliland drought threatens pastoral communities
55-year old Amina comes from a long line of herders. Years of insufficient rainfall and climate change have put her work and family at risk, forcing them out of their home and way of life.
Somaliland elections: enforcing the right to vote for people with disabilities
On 13 November, voters in Somaliland elected their new president. Over a period of more than two years, Handicap International (HI) encouraged people with disabilities to participate in the electoral system. This inclusive elections initiative was implemented in six of the country’s regions and benefited some 300,000 people with disabilities.
a life
Background
Endemic inter-clan fighting for control of land, pasture or water sources, a phenomenon intensified during drought conditions, continues to displace civilians.
Insecurity also drives displacement and heightens humanitarian needs. Protracted internal displacement situations in Somalia have also led to loss of social protection networks. Many have been displaced from their homes for decades, are marginalized and at risk of forced evictions, discrimination, pervasive exploitation and abuse. Female-headed households within internally displaced communities particularly experience hardships and often have limited access to justice, services and assistance, including medical care and psychosocial support. Children are especially vulnerable to various forms of abuse, including practices like female genital mutilation, forced and early marriage, family separation, child labor and forced recruitment into armed groups.
Number of HI staff members: 25
Date the program opened: 1992
Reports
The latest publications
> Prevention Against Emerging Infectious Diseases: An Opportunity for Inclusive Health (pdf, 2.25 MB)More > News
