Crisis Response

Emergency and Post-Crisis

IOM Somalia’s Emergency and Post-Crisis unit oversees timely, integrated, and effective interventions that are designed to aid and empower displaced populations and their host communities in emergencies. Through a broad range of programmes, coordination with partners, and substantial field presence, IOM can cater to specific needs of the affected populations through multisectoral programmes across the whole of Somalia.

Emergency and Post-Crisis programmes range from anticipatory action before the onset of an impending emergency, such as upgrading existing and constructing new shallow wells prior to an imminent drought, to building durable shelter post flooding to withstand future floods and increase community resiliency to reoccurring as well as sudden climatic shocks.

IOM’s teams engage with the communities right from the start. We involve the community during the whole project cycle, and ensure vulnerable groups such as the elderly, minorities, and persons with disabilities are represented and heard. We also have accountability systems to allow communities to express their feedback and complaints both in person and remotely.

To ensure sustainability, IOM Somalia’s emergency interventions are closely integrated with its Transition and Recovery programming, such that emergency interventions lay the foundations for resiliency, sustainable development and reduce dependency on live-saving relief.
 

Preparedness (before the crisis)

At the preparedness stage, IOM works:

• With a well-coordinated network of partners, in addition to, IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), to detect early signs of crises, such as climatic shocks or insecurity, and subsequent trends in displacement.
• In partnership with humanitarian partners to correctly identify risks and needs of populations in need.
• With several early warning systems, including government’s Multi-hazard Early Warning Centre. Information sharing is also a vital part of preparing vulnerable populations to crises.
• With communities to conduct a wide range of hygiene and health sensitization and awareness campaigns.
• With local vendors for our cash-based interventions that allows for e-cards to be activated and distributed immediately to affected communities. Supply-chain scalability and the pre-positioning of emergency relief items in high-risk areas allow for on-demand activation during a crisis.

Rapid Response (during crisis)

At the onset of a humanitarian emergency, IOM responds immediately by tracking the event, identifying the needs, and mobilizing field teams directly or implementing partners to meet the needs of the affected populations.

• DTM’s Emergency Event Tracking (EET) mechanism tracks sudden population movements, while conducting multi-sector needs assessments. This allows for teams to enhance their coordination to deliver immediate life-saving services, such as medicine, water trucking, emergency shelter kits, essential, and hygiene kits, whether in-kind or via a cash-based modality.
• To ensure accountability to the affected communities IOM operates a complaints and feedback mechanisms that is operational both prior to and throughout an emergency response 
• As the lead agency for the COVID-19 Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) sub-sector, IOM’s psychological first aid (PFA) is mainstreamed across emergency programming, ensuring focal points are present in response teams and previously trained community members.
• IOM in Somalia has been overseeing the Common Pipeline (CP) program on behalf of the Somalia Shelter and Non-Food Items (SNFI) Cluster since its establishment in 2023. This program plays a vital role in offering essential support to the SNFI Cluster’s partners in procuring, positioning, and distributing emergency supplies to aid the most vulnerable populations impacted by the complex humanitarian situation in the country.

Shock Resiliency (post-crisis)

Once the humanitarian emergency has subsided, IOM works to build resilience in the affected communities so that the crisis can be averted in the future. This includes:

• Development of public land for displaced populations facing evictions.
• Flood mitigation through installation of drainage and berm construction.
• Infrastructure such as boreholes for durable water supplies.
• Sanitation facilities such as latrines and handwashing stations.
• Economic resiliency and livelihoods such as value chains and markets through cash-based interventions, skill training, women’s markets, and livestock support.

IOM has had a presence in Somalia since 2006.