As a result of the long civil war, ongoing armed conflicts, and natural disasters such as droughts and floods there has been a state of emergency in Somalia for over 20 years. Humanitarian access is very restricted in large parts of southern Somalia. According to the United Nations, a total of 4.2 million people – around a third of the total population – continue to depend on humanitarian aid in 2019. The 2.8 million internally displaced persons are in a particularly precarious situation. Furthermore, around a million Somalian refugees in the neighbouring countries need support.
The United Nations estimates that Somalia will require funding of 1.1 billion US dollars for humanitarian needs in 2019. The aim of the planned aid is to reach 3.4 million people and ensure their survival.

German humanitarian assistance

The Federal Foreign Office has been supporting humanitarian assistance in Somalia for years. This support also takes into account the impact of the humanitarian crisis on Somalia’s neighbouring countries. It has already provided 65 million euros in 2019 (compared with 75 million euros in 2018) for humanitarian aid measures. The German Government works closely in this field with United Nations organisations, such as the World Food Programme. German support focuses on emergency aid measures in the fields of food aid, protection, housing, water supply, sanitation, hygiene and health. Humanitarian mine clearance and measures aimed at safeguarding people’s livelihoods and creating new opportunities for them are the priorities of Germany’s support.

Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs)

Germany is providing ten million euros in 2019 to the Somalia Humanitarian Fund in 2019 and is thus a major donor. The Fund ensures that acute humanitarian needs arising from situations such as natural disasters, outbreaks of disease or conflicts can also be met rapidly, in addition to ongoing aid programmes. Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) make humanitarian assistance more effective, strengthen aid coordination and mobilise additional funding for financing the United Nations’ aid plans. Including and strengthening local stakeholders – and thus local aid measures – are important reasons for Germany to support CBPFs.