Attachments
Overview
The Shelter Cluster Strategy for Somalia is built on the evolving humanitarian landscape and aims to transition from prolonged emergency lifesaving assistance to resilience and recovery. This strategy will guide the interventions of Cluster partners until the end of 2028 with proposed revision in context changes, acknowledging that conditions across Somalia are dynamic and vary significantly by location, necessitating flexible planning and response.
Situational Analysis
Since 1991, the country has experienced persistent conflicts, forced evictions, violent upheavals, and recurrent natural disasters. These challenges have compounded over the past three decades, creating a complex and enduring crisis that has drastically increased the demand for shelter and non-food items (NFIs). However, prolonged displacement, concerns about aid diversion, and the global rise in humanitarian needs have led to a significant decline in shelter funding, resulting in a critical gap between the needs of the affected population and the available resources.
The situation worsened in 2022-2023 when Somalia was hit by an unprecedented drought followed by severe rainfall that caused widespread flooding and decades of conflict. These consecutive disasters, combined with ongoing conflict, led to multiple waves of displacement, forcing hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to f lee their homes. The aftermath left Somalia in a dire state, with extensive destruction of homes, protective infrastructure, and livelihoods, further exacerbating the vulnerabilities of already displaced families.
Currently, 88% of IDPs reside in makeshift emergency shelters known as Buuls—domed, thatched structures crafted by Somali women using twigs and rugs. This starkly illustrates the vast and unmet shelter needs across the country.
Displacement impacts extend beyond immediate shelter concerns, affecting rural and urban areas. Continuous displacement has deepened the humanitarian crisis, accelerated urbanization, and strained minimal infrastructure. Overcrowding, lack of adequate services, unplanned settlements, and rising criminality further impact health and social cohesion, particularly among minority groups. Vulnerable and marginalized communities face heightened risks, including gender-based violence, due to their temporary and undignified living conditions. The Somalia Shelter Cluster is navigating a multifaceted crisis that requires a comprehensive and strategic approach. According to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), approximately 4.1 million people in Somalia will require shelter support, yet only 1.3 million are expected to receive targeted assistance. This disparity underscores the urgent need for a strategic response beyond short-term solutions.
The Cluster recognizes several challenges that could hinder the implementation of its key strategic objectives, including financial constraints, equitable resource allocation, logistical difficulties, and access issues caused by insecurity and floods. Additional challenges include repeated displacements due to clan conflicts, internal violence, drought, and f looding, as well as obstacles in securing housing, land, and property rights for protracted IDPs and returnees. Despite these hurdles, the Cluster remains dedicated to providing timely and dignified assistance while advocating for increased resources, peaceful coexistence, and sustainable solutions to address the needs of those affected.
The shelter is essential for immediate survival and well-being, and inadequate shelter continues to expose households to various health and protection risks, such as lack of privacy, eviction, exploitation, abuse, and increased vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence. Furthermore, multiple displacements weaken strategies.
The Cluster is committed to ensuring that protection principles guide all activities and that partners address cross-cutting issues such as gender and disability inclusion, Prevention Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), Accountability to of the Affected Population (AAP), child safeguarding, be and the promotion of human rights. All interventions will conflict-sensitive and incorporate community-based strategies. Additionally, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and environmental protection measures will be integrated into the Cluster's response to mitigate the impacts of future natural disasters like floods and droughts. The Cluster emphasizes the importance of community ownership and capacity building, recognizing that the community is the first responder to their needs. Humanitarian partners must actively involve the community in all phases of project implementation, ensuring that responses are tailored to the community's specific needs.
The Shelter and Non-Food Items (SNFI) Cluster response will prioritize the most vulnerable individuals with first-line emergency lifesaving shelter and non-food items (S/NFIs) to mitigate health and protection risks and restore their dignity. The Cluster also acknowledges the high number of protracted displacements across the country. With the government's commitment to providing land, supports cluster and its partners in harmonizing the implementation approaches, the Shelter Cluster will work with partners to develop sustainable pathways for permanent shelter solutions, including constructing, repairing, and upgrading shelters. The prolonged conflict over decades has adversely affected local market supplies and increased prices. The Cluster is aware of the high costs associated with durable shelter interventions and the reduction in donor funding. In response, the Cluster will continue to advocate for and mobilize resources through various networks, ensuring that all efforts are based on evidence of needs and the feasibility of the response modalities.