In Somalia, Humanity & Inclusion continues to run programs under the operating name "Handicap International."
Humanity & Inclusion in Somalia/Somaliland
Operating in the Somaliland since 1992, Humanity & Inclusion's 73-person team works to ensure people with disabilities have access to critical services and are included in humanitarian action.
Areas of Intervention
- Integrated humanitarian assistance
- Lifesaving protection services and support, food security, WASH
- Psychosocial support and mental health
- Protection against violence and abuse
- Disaster preparedness
- Inclusive emergency response
In Mogadishu, teams are focusing on promoting inclusive humanitarian action through two projects to raise awareness around inclusive humanitarian action in areas of WASH, MEAL and protection. One of the projects is in partnership with Danish Refugee Council. Through these projects, various aspects of inclusive Humanitarian Action have been explored, including how to collect quality data on disability, inclusive communication and exposure to various frameworks such as the IASC guidelines on inclusion of people with disabilities and the CRPD. The interest of humanitarian/mainstream actors about disability inclusion has been raised and continues to gain momentum.
In the Woqooyi Galbeed, Awdal and Togdheer regions of Somaliland and Benaadir of Somalia, Humanity & Inclusion supports at-risk people in accessing protection, psychosocial and mental health support, health and functional rehabilitation, and works towards ensuring that humanitarian action is inclusive of people with disabilities and other populations at risk of being excluded.
Our Past Work
Humanity & Inclusion has been working in the Somaliland for more than 27 years, promoting inclusion for ALL people with disabilities and who are vulnerable. Over time, we have evolved our work to meet the dynamic needs of the communities where we serve.
Read on to learn more about our past work in Somalia, and consider investing in our future.
Human Rights
From 2010-2014, Humanity & Inclusion and its partners implemented a human rights project that strengthened the capacity of 15 organizations run by and for people with disabilities at a grassroots level to empower people with disabilities to actively promote and advocate for their rights for protection and inclusion. A major outcome of this intervention was the development of a Disability Policy for Somaliland and Puntland.
Famine Response
Following severe droughts in 2017, Humanity & Inclusion decided to respond to the crisis along two axes: inclusion mainstreaming for NGOs working on the humanitarian response, and stimulative therapy for malnourished children.
Rehabilitation
Humanity & Inclusion worked with DPOs in Somaliland to improve the quality, accessibility, and durability of rehabilitation services for victims of armed conflicts.
This project focused on three objectives:
- Training members of DPOs in leadership and management skills
- Providing financial support for civic education sessions
- Supporting advocacy campaigns for inclusion
Road Safety
In Garowe, Puntland, Humanity & Inclusion trained village leaders to run road safety awareness campaigns for children, pedestrians, and drivers.
The organization also ran workshops with the local authorities to define road safety policies.