31-03-2023 | di COOPI

Somalia. "Who is my neighbour?" SomRep's campaign against drought

The crowfunding campaign "Who is my neighbour?", created by the consortium of NGOs, SomRep (Somali Resilience Program) of which COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale is a member, started on 27 March and is aimed at fighting the worst drought Somalia is experiencing in the last 40 years and which killed at least 43,000 people in 2022 alone. The goal is to reach €91,000 to meet the growing scale of need.  

On the campaign website it is possible to support a family of five for as little as 9 euro by providing water, flour, oil and pulses.

The campaign revolves around a very topical theme: today the world is much smaller and because of this we are better (as well as immediately) connected with our fellow human beings all over the world. In this sense, it becomes crucial to assess the very prospect of remoteness in a new light: a person who is far away from the world is in fact my neighbour, my next-door neighbour, and his or her well-being becomes central to my concerns as well.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lobLmCvE70w

As Abdi, a young beneficiary of COOPI (which has been present in Somalia for 30 years) tells us, the situation is dramatic: the drought has put a strain on the ability to sustain oneself and survive. 

SomRep was created in the aftermath of the 2011 Somali famine, to support communities in coping with disasters such as drought and to accompany them towards recovery. The consortium consists of eight international NGOs: Action against Hunger, ADRA, Care, Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam, Haqdoon and World Vision, as well as COOPI - International Cooperation.  

In 2022 alone, SomReP supported 3,142 families in the most affected areas with cash transfers under the 'Crisis Modifier', a tool that allows families to access 3-month funding, meet immediate needs following a disaster (such as a missed rainfall), and remain in their homes.

The SomRep consortium, together with several donors, has mobilised to share good practices and expertise to create a nexus for resilience, development and peace. NGO work is done directly with communities, in partnership with government, local civil society and the private sector in disaster risk management, safety net strengthening, agricultural recovery and climate change adaptation; as well as natural resource management, asset development, inclusive market systems and economic empowerment. Other themes considered are support for health and protection systems, gender mainstreaming and social inclusion.