Mogadishu – In the wake of a severe drought in Somalia that has displaced more than 800,000 people, the Government of Somalia has joined forces with IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to enhance its drought response capacity.

The three partners organized four-day training from 1–4 August to build displacement management capacity, focusing on Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), improved humanitarian coordination and information management, and early recovery. Over 30 participants took part from a cross-section of Government ministries, international non-governmental organizations and the UN. It aimed to help streamline approaches to emergency response, as well as support the government’s efforts to better manage disasters and plan for early recovery.

“This training came at the right moment; we were in need,” said Dahir Mohamed Noor, Director General of Durable Solutions at the Federal Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, at the beginning of the training. “The objective is to train our counterparts to strengthen their capacity to manage camps with dignity and according to international standards.”

This was the first ever CCCM training in Somalia, run by the CCCM Cluster. The Cluster was activated in May 2017 to respond to growing displacement in Somalia, under the co-leadership of IOM and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

“CCCM Cluster is new in Somalia and I am excited to work with the Government, and other partners working in displacement sites, so that we can improve living conditions and ensure access to services for displaced individuals,” said Kathryn Ziga, IOM Somalia’s CCCM Cluster Coordinator. “CCCM activities help ensure that communities have the space to voice their opinions, participate in service delivery and give feedback to humanitarian organizations.”

UNDP is engaged in building a resilient society in Somalia by minimizing human, economic and environmental losses from disasters and humanitarian crises, and by helping the sustainable recovery of people affected by crisis, including those displaced. This requires mitigating hazards wherever possible (both natural and human-induced), reducing the exposure and vulnerability of at-risk communities, and building the capacity of government and other stakeholders including those from civil society, media, academia, private sector and communities.

The training started with the introduction of key CCCM concepts, the roles and responsibilities of various actors, and community participation and engagement. Participants were trained on engagement with informal settlement managers, communication with communities, plus early recovery and disaster management approaches.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also gave a presentation on humanitarian coordination and information management. The final session of the training ensured that the skills and knowledge gained will be passed down through training for future facilitators.

For more information please contact Yuko Tomita in IOM Somalia, Tel: + 254 715 990 600, Email: iomsomaliapsu@iom.int or Abdul Qadir in UNDP Somalia, Tel: +254714056483, Email: abdul.qadir@undp.org