Hargeisa, Somaliland: Daami’s Dignified Relocation

In 2022, Hargeisa, Somaliland, was selected as a grantee of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), the MMC’s instrument to channel international funding directly to cities to implement inclusive projects of their own design. 

With support from the GCF, the Hargeisa Municipality resettled 140 of the most vulnerable internally displaced households from Daami B camp near Daami Dam, where they faced frequent flooding. The families now benefit from increased safety, security of land tenure, and the ability to generate income and assets thanks to self-employment opportunities provided by the city, including small business grants and direct cash assistance.

All internally displaced people (IDPs) in Somaliland are displaced due to climate change, and many of them face repeated climate displacement throughout their lives. IDPs in the Daami B camp in Hargeisa Municipality, Somaliland, live under the constant threat of the Daami Dam flooding during rainy seasons. Several children have drowned due the flooding and their proximity to the dam and many households are exposed to risks that endanger their housing, livelihoods and economic opportunities.

All internally displaced people (IDPs) in Somaliland are displaced due to climate change, and many of them face repeated climate displacement throughout their lives. IDPs in the Daami B camp in Hargeisa Municipality, Somaliland, live under the constant threat of the Daami Dam flooding during rainy seasons. Several children have drowned due the flooding and their proximity to the dam and many households are exposed to risks that endanger their housing, livelihoods and economic opportunities.

Through Daami’s Dignified Relocation and the GCF, Hargeisa Municipality resettled 140 of the most vulnerable households around Daami Dam to Abdi-bidar Village and Nasa-hablood. Both new sites were visited by representatives of Daami B camp and agreed upon through a rigorous negotiation process with the municipality which included compensation for housing material costs and respected the voluntary and dignified nature of the move. 

Households in both new locations are beginning to benefit from increased safety, security of land tenure and the ability to generate income and assets through self-employment opportunities, small business grants and direct cash assistance, which they will receive for the first eight months. The municipality is also supporting 56 small businesses in Abdi-bidar Village, providing owners with business training and grants of up to USD 500 each.

In addition, 30 young men and women will receive water-tank tricycles and delivery motorcycles as a means to generate income.

As the first voluntary and dignified relocation project led by Hargeisa Municipality, the city is not only helping IDPs build resilient livelihoods, but also learning how to improve Hargeisa’s resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Through Daami’s Dignified Relocation, Hargeisa Municipality has moved 140 households away from Daami B camp – a highly flood prone area of the city that is informally settled – to safer neighborhoods. While the project initially set out to relocate only 100 households, during community awareness sessions, the municipality identified another 40 households in high-risk areas of Daami that were interested in moving and funded their relocation from its own budget. 

In addition to relocation and housing support, the project delivered cash grants, livelihoods assets, business and life skills training, and/or employment support to relocated families. By project close, 56 women were provided the means to launch or continue their businesses, 12 youth completed confectionary classes, and 30 youth received driving lessons and delivery motorcycles or tricycles. Hargeisa also provided land ownership rights to the initial 100 relocated households and expects to provide certificates for the remaining 40. As a result of these activities, the Municipality is not only preventing climate displacement in the short term but also ensuring relocated families have the security of tenure and income-generating opportunities they need to succeed in their new homes in the long term.