Somalia Country Strategy 2026–2030

Strategy Overview

Somalia continues to face one of the world’s most protracted and complex humanitarian and development crises. Decades of conflict, weak governance, chronic poverty, and recurrent climate shocks have eroded community resilience and undermined access to basic services. Between 2020 and 2024, successive droughts followed by localised flooding displaced millions, decimated livelihoods, and pushed communities to the brink of famine. While modest political and security gains have been achieved in parts of the country, humanitarian needs remain severe and structural vulnerabilities persist.

Development & Empowerment for Humanity (DEH) adopts this Somalia Country Strategy (2026–2030) to guide a coherent, integrated, and context‑responsive approach that bridges humanitarian action, early recovery, and resilience‑building. The strategy is anchored in five thematic pillars: Health, Nutrition & WASH; Food Security, Livelihoods & Resilience; Protection, Gender & Social Inclusion; Child Protection & Education in Emergencies; and Women & Youth Empowerment & Skills Development.

The overarching goal is to save lives, protect dignity, and empower Somali communities to withstand and recover from shocks. DEH will prioritise the most vulnerable populations—internally displaced persons (IDPs), drought‑affected pastoralists and agro‑pastoralists, women‑headed households, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities—while strengthening local systems, institutions, and community leadership

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Strategic Pillars

Development

Through its Development pillar, DEH addresses the root causes of vulnerability by strengthening livelihoods, basic services, and community resilience. This pillar bridges humanitarian response with early recovery and sustainable development

Empowerment

Empowerment is central to DEH’s identity. This pillar promotes leadership, participation, and agency of women, youth, and marginalized groups, enabling communities to shape decisions and sustain long-term change

Humanity

DEH’s Humanity pillar focuses on life-saving assistance and protection for people affected by conflict, displacement, and climate shocks. It prioritizes timely emergency response, safeguarding, and dignity-centred service delivery

Objectives

Deliver integrated, lifesaving humanitarian assistance

Strengthen food security, livelihoods, and community resilience.

Protect children, women, and vulnerable populations.

Promote access to education and youth empowerment

Strengthen organisational systems and sustainability

Theory of change

Problem Statement

Crisis-affected populations in Somalia face preventable loss of life, chronic food insecurity, protection risks, disrupted education, and limited economic opportunities due to the combined effects of conflict, displacement, climate shocks, weak basic service systems, and social exclusion. These factors reinforce vulnerability and undermine community resilience.

Change Pathway

DEH’s Theory of Change is based on the premise that if crisis-affected populations have timely access to integrated, high-quality life‑saving services and are supported to restore livelihoods, strengthen protection, and build skills and leadership, then preventable morbidity and mortality will decrease, dignity and inclusion will be enhanced, and communities will become more resilient to future shocks.

Core Assumptions

Humanitarian access can be maintained through strong local partnerships and acceptance strategies.

Communities are willing and able to participate in program design and management when supported.

Integrated, multi-sectoral approaches deliver greater impact than siloed interventions

Climate risks can be mitigated through adaptive and environmentally responsible programming.

Causal Logic

Inputs:

Funding, skilled staff, partnerships, community engagement, technical expertise.

Activities:

Integrated delivery of health, nutrition, WASH, food security, protection, education, and empowerment interventions.

Outputs:

Improved service coverage, rehabilitated infrastructure, strengthened community systems, increased skills and capacities.

Outcomes:

Reduced morbidity and mortality, improved food security, enhanced protection and inclusion, increased access to education, empowered women and youth.

Impact:

Resilient Somali communities with improved well-being, dignity, and ability to withstand and recover from shocks.