Empowering Communities to Prepare for Disasters in Somalia

Suleiman Abdiraham Dahir knows all too well how extreme weather patterns affect Somalia. He has witnessed both the unforgiving droughts that pushed his country to the brink of famine and the raging floods that leave destruction in their wake during the rainy seasons.

Between 2021 and 2023, over 1.6 million people in Somalia were displaced by a drought exacerbated by five consecutive failed rainy seasons. By the end of 2023, the country was grappling with devastating floods that affected over 2.4 million people, displacing more than a million and claiming 118 lives.

Suleiman, who lives in Kurtun village, in Dollow is among the 10 active members of the Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) team who are on a mission to protect their community against the impact of unpredictable weather. Community Based Disaster Risk Management is a holistic framework aimed at reducing loss of lives and community resources due to natural hazards. It empowers communities in disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, emergency response and recovery and rehabilitation.

Forty-year-old Suleiman and his team underwent extensive training led by IOM in disaster risk reduction, types of disasters and common hazards, disaster cycle management, resource mobilization, sanitation practices and water safety among other topics. Armed with this knowledge they can now better anticipate, assess and mitigate the impact of climatic shocks on Kurtun.

Under the leadership of the CBDRM team, the community in Kurtun has fortified their village by constructing river embankments and rehabilitating canals to prevent flooding during heavy downpour. Roads and drainage have also been cleared. IOM’s technical support and provision of essential tools such as wheelbarrows, pick mattocks and shovels facilitated their efforts. The team’s efforts extend beyond the physical infrastructure. Suleiman and his peers are catalysts for change fostering a culture of preparedness and unity within Kurtun.

Additionally, IOM conducted flood preparedness awareness sessions in Kurtun, educating the community about floods preparation, evacuation routes, emergency contacts, hygiene practices and services during disasters. Information, communication and educational materials were distributed to the community.

The CBDRM team in Kurtun is supported under the project “Improving Flood and Drought-related Preparedness Efforts in Disaster-affected Areas of Somalia”, funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM.