Somalia
Background
With a population of 15 million and a gross domestic product per capita of $127, Somalia is one of the poorest countries in Africa. For more than twenty years, civil war raged in Somalia, followed by tribal feuds, resulting in a lack of most basic services today. The country has also been struggling with recurrent climatic shocks such as droughts and floods with increasing frequency. One consequence is that a large part of the population is affected by food crises. According to the FAO, 860,000 people suffer from food shortages.
Since the collapse of the central government in 1991, provision of higher education has been nearly nonexistent especially in veterinary medicine. Most of the senior veterinarians left the country to seek asylum abroad. Clan conflicts and harsh conditions in pastoral areas have forced those who remained in the country to move to urban centers.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, supports programmes in this country.
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Somalia_goat_herd_Somalia_2012_Herders
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On the ground since: 2000
Activities in: Gedo-Region and Somaliland
Office: Bullahawa
Number of projects: 4
Key partners: SDC, Emergency Pastoralist Assistance Group-Kenya (EPAG-K),
South West Livestock Professionals Association (SOWELPA), FAO, USAID-OFDA
Team: 11
Topics
- Food security and
Livelihoods - One Health
- Irrigation
- livestock production
- WASH
Somalia
Active projects Somalia
Reference projects Somalia
News
Looming crisis in the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is facing a crisis. The current nutritional situation is precarious and predictions for the remainder of 2021 are alarming – with warnings of famine for certain regions. The combined effects of a weak last rainy season and a delayed current...
Update on the desert locust situation and its impact on the people in the greater Horn of Africa
Image © FAO Desert locusts remain present across the greater Horn of Africa (HoA). Although current swarms are smaller and less numerous, the impact on affected communities remains high and may lead to increased vulnerability of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist...
The fight against Covid-19 in our partner countries continues
The Covid-19 pandemic has kept the entire human race on edge for months. People already affected by hunger and poverty are often particularly hard hit. VSF-Suisse therefore supports the populations in the project countries with various activities in their fight...