UN-HABITAT in the Somali Region

february 09
UN-HABITAT in the Somali Region
updates on the latest urban interventions – 7th issue
THE JOINT PROGRAMME ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND
DECENTRALIZED SERVICE DELIVERY
HUMANITARIAN DESIGN IN THE SOMALI CONTEXT
SOMALILAND: WORLD HABITAT DAY AND PROJECT INAUGURATION
BOSSASO SHELTER AND SETTLEMENT UPGRADING
140 FAMILIES RECEIVE IMPROVED SHELTER
A look back at the Urban Development Programme
editorial
Applying SUDP’s achievements to the current Joint Programming
From April 2004 to September 2008, UN-HABITAT implemented the Urban Development Programme for the
Somali Region (SUDP). The SUDP has expanded the agency’s long-established reconstruction, capacity building,
and urban development activities to all major Somali towns and cities. It functioned as an umbrella programme
for other interventions in the Somali urban sector and took on new initiatives, in particular shelter construction,
resettlement of IDPs and returnees, municipal finance, and land management reforms.
The SUDP, funded by the European Commission with co-financing from UNDP, was designed to benefit from
the comparative advantages of programme partners such as ILO, UNICEF, the Italian NGO consortium UNA,
and Oxfam-Novib. Recognizing the growing importance of the Somali urban sector, SUDP has promoted an
increasingly democratic, inclusive, and accountable system of governance, as well as more efficient and socially
effective local management practices.
The main results of SUDP are:
• Improved urban governance and management capacities of local authorities
• Professional layout and planning of main Somali settlements
• An improved regulatory and legislative framework for urban development
• New and upgraded urban infrastructure and services, such as waste management systems, public markets,
slaughterhouses, and council offices
• Improved urban planning and municipal finance systems
• Coordination and development of new urban development initiatives
• Increased access to land, shelter, and basic services by IDPs
• Leadership by UN-HABITAT of the urban sub-cluster and land and tenure sub-cluster of the UN Joint Needs
Assessment
In the Somali region, activities in the areas of local governance, basic services, and assistance to IDPs are
increasingly implemented through UN joint programmes. UN-HABITAT, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO, and UNCDF are
partners in the Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery, which coordinates
relevant UN activities for five years until 2012. Within the UN Country Team, UN-HABITAT was assigned the lead
role for UN activities related to the local governance and service delivery sectors.
UN-HABITAT is making every effort to ensure that the very positive experiences of the SUDP, the numerous
lessons learned, and the partnerships built will be adopted and expanded under the Joint Programme for the
benefit of the Somali people.
Dorothee von Brentano, Chief Technical Advisor and O-i-C
Case Study: Hargeisa
Hargeisa Municipality has reported the following achievements, resulting directly or indirectly from SUDP:
• Solid waste management: With the newly introduced public-private partnership for the management of solid waste,
Hargeisa saves around USD 22,000 per month and the city has become cleaner.
• Property survey and GIS-based property taxation: Property revenues increased by 185 percent, from USD 144,417 in
2004 to USD 412,179 in 2007.
• Slaughterhouse: The public-private partnership to manage the slaughterhouse resulted in monthly savings of USD
2,000.
• Fixed assets: Monthly revenue jumped from USD 1,700 to USD 18,000.
• Asset transfer tax: Collection increased from USD 1,000 to USD 25,000.
• Qat wholesalers: Previous daily revenue was USD 300; now it is USD 530.
• Non-agricultural establishments: Earnings from this source almost tripled.
• Markets: The municipality has started to issue permits to market vendors and already sees a substantial increase in
market revenue.
• The municipality used the savings from staff downsizing to increase salaries of municipal staff by 60 percent, boosting
motivation.
With the above substantial increase in revenues, the municipality spent USD 1 million on road repairs, implemented many small
projects, developed human resources, purchased 50 vehicles, rehabilitated offices, and upgraded their information technology,
among other initiatives. Similar achievements and impacts were reported by other municipalities involved in SUDP.
what’s new !
Burao and Hargeisa
New markets inaugurated
Rehabilitated markets in Burao and Hargeisa were inaugurated
during the past 13 months. The central market of Burao was
opened to specially prepared songs and dances performed in front
of numerous guests. On last year’s World Habitat Day in Hargeisa,
Mohamed Mooge Market and Inji Market were opened amid a
variety of celebratory activities. Many residents came to celebrate
the achievements of the local market committees, working together
with the municipality, UN-HABITAT, and other partners.
see page 8 and page 11
Puntland
Shelter for urban poor, local projects
2008 saw the completion of a shelter project that gave
new homes with security of tenure, access to services, and
livelihood opportunities to 112 displaced families from the most
disadvantaged IDP settlements and 28 poor families in Bossaso.
Danish Refugee Council collaborated on the project, which was
supported by UNHCR and OCHA. Meanwhile, following a call for
proposals, a variety of local projects were completed in Puntland
state. The projects included slaughterhouses in Gardho and
Garowe and a meat and vegetable market in Bossaso.
see page 4 and page 9
Hargeisa and Garowe
Community visioning and postoccupancy evaluation
In mid-2008, two UN-HABITAT community workers conducted
community visioning and micro-urban planning sessions at Ayaha
IDP settlement in Hargeisa and the Old Airport IDP settlement
in Garowe. A post-occupancy evaluation was also carried out in
both towns among the IDPs, returnees, and urban poor who were
relocated to permanent housing. The survey aimed at evaluating
current living conditions in the settlements.
see page 10
UN-HABITAT, NRC, and UNHCR
Land study published
In January 2009, UN-HABITAT, Norwegian Refugee Council,
and UNHCR published Land, Property, and Housing in Somalia.
Commissioned by Norwegian Refugee Council and UN-HABITAT
and authored by Gregory Norton, the book is a comprehensive
report that focuses on the Somali legal frameworks and institutional
systems related to land and on the historical background of the
current landholding and ownership patterns in Somalia. It also looks
at social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental contexts
and examines some of the theoretical debates on land issues.
see page 11
Bossaso – Shelter, services, and livelihoods
New life for 140 IDP and urban poor families
2008 saw the completion of a shelter project for the resettlement of 140 vulnerable families in Bossaso. The intervention,
implemented in close collaboration with the Danish Refugee Council, with the support of UNHCR and OCHA, gave
a new home with security of tenure, access to services, and livelihood opportunities to 112 displaced families from
the most disadvantaged IDP settlements and 28 poor families from the local community. The project was part of a
broader strategy to support a well-planned urban development on the eastern side of the town.
The images below illustrate the steps and the achievements
of the shelter project. The community and the authorities
viewed the project as transparent and successful; it was
also very well received by the beneficiaries. A similar
approach is now being replicated in the Protection,
Reintegration, and Resettlement of IDPs programme,
described in the box.
Ombretta Tempra, Shelter and IDP Programme Officer
1
2
4
6
3
5
7
8
1. A lottery adjudicates the right to a house for 112 IDP
families fulfilling the required vulnerability criteria. Twentyeight poor families are selected by the municipality.
2-3. Provision of roads and connection to the municipal water
network.
4. Construction of latrines, showers, foundations, and
boundary walls by a contractor.
5. Beneficiaries move onto their plot with temporary shelter.
6. Beneficiaries construct the main room of their house.
7-8. Completed houses showing additional investments by the
IDPs (e.g. water tanks and paving).
Bossaso
Protection, Reintegration,
and Resettlement of IDPs
With financing from the Government of Japan,
the Human Security Trust Fund supports the
most vulnerable
The experience gained with previous projects
led UNDP, UNICEF, FAO, UNHCR, the Danish
Refugee Council, and UN-HABITAT to join efforts in
a comprehensive programme addressing the most
urgent needs of the displaced. The intervention tackled
the following issues: protection of the displaced against
physical violence and other human rights violations;
improvement of living conditions in the existing
temporary settlements (including settlement and
shelter upgrading, replanning, and access to services
and income-generating opportunities); provision of
durable solutions for resettlement and reintegration;
and increasing access to livelihood.
Although the deterioration of the security situation
in northern Somalia reduced the pace of the
implementation, the programme has been registering
its first achievements. Preliminary assessments of
livelihood, water, sanitation, hygiene, and shelter
conditions have been done; health, hygiene promotion,
and protection activities (especially in the field of sexual
and gender-based violence) are ongoing; and training
for employment generation activities have started.
The upgrading of settlements is ongoing, improving
the lives of about 1,200 families (over 7,000 people)
thus far. Suitable land has been identified for the
resettlement of displaced and urban poor communities;
450 families are in the process of receiving shelter,
security of tenure, and access to basic services.
One of the IDP settlements after the upgrading
Humanitarian design: socially responsible, useroriented, sustainable design in the Somali context
The case of Old Airport, Garowe, Phase 2
Shelter = Shielding = Protection. Adequate housing is
a basic human need that protects us from the natural
elements and provides security, safety, and a sense
of belonging. Architects and urban planners have
embraced social responsibility longer than the global
media has acknowledged. Actually, a confident view
of architectural design and urban planning’s ability to
improve the world has defined great movements in the
history of the profession. However, only recently has
activity in this field and attention from the press reached
a global critical mass.
Architects and urban planning professionals in private
practice, government institutions, and international
humanitarian and development agencies are coming
forward with solutions to humanitarian crises and bringing
urban planning and design services to communities in
need. In (post-) conflict areas where resources and
expertise are often scarce, innovative, sustainable,
and collaborative design can make a difference. Design
professionals explore new user-oriented, sustainable
plans for houses, schools, and health care centres and
work on innovative materials and building methods to
provide temporary, transitional, or permanent structures
for the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Our vision is one of a world where designers innovate
globally to build housing, schools, clinics, and other
essential infrastructure locally. We believe that this
can be achieved – not by replicating a design that
was successful in one situation or another, but by
encouraging the following: locally inspired designs
in plan, organization, form, proportion, and mass;
construction with locally found or locally manufactured
materials; skills training; and the creation of local jobs.
In Garowe, we keep in mind that the built environment
has an ecological footprint. So, we move away from the
conventional use of sand-cement blocks and instead
apply locally mined quarry stones, which are plentiful.
We are undertaking stone-related skills training to
increase the capacity of local stonemasons. When stone
is used in an appropriate way, it will be as affordable as
sand-cement blocks and will last longer. It will provide
local employment opportunities and blend harmoniously
with the surrounding natural and built environment.
Buildings do not only have an ecological footprint ‒ they
also have an ethical footprint. Sustainability is about
more than just building green or saving energy in the
production and daily use of a building. In Garowe, we
think about how shelter can be designed and made
more liveable despite the harsh climate, but also how
the housing will affect the natural environment, how it will
improve the lives and livelihoods of its occupants, and
what its impact on future generations will be, including
how it can be more resistant to disaster.
We approach shelter design in Garowe from the ground
up. Design is the expression of a community’s vision
for change. We first carried out a visioning exercise
with adults, youth, and children, asking them to tell us
the vision, aspirations, and dreams they hold for their
settlement and their living environment. All groups were
very direct in what they desire: improved houses with
higher ceilings, better constructed walls, more access
to natural daylight, more open community places and
spaces for children to play, and spaces set aside for
schools and health care centres, etc. These wishes
had a direct impact on the settlement plan and design
of the individual shelter units, giving them the best
design quality possible within the available budget.
This visioning process encourages community groups
of all age-sets to set goals and work together to achieve
them; community members are empowered to become
stakeholders and pursue larger long-term goals.
The Garowe Old Airport Phase 2 Settlement Plan
focuses on making the most of the local climatic and
geographical conditions, including orientation along the
solar path and strong prevailing winds. It creates open
places for projected public spaces such as playgrounds,
schools, a police post, a health post, a sports field, and
a community centre. Each house has been laid out
around a courtyard as an interlocking combination of
indoor and outdoor spaces, with the courtyard giving
protection against the strong seasonal winds and a
trellis or tree (in the long run) shielding the inhabitants
from the scorching sun. The settlement plan layout has
a hierarchy of open spaces from the private (court) to
the semi-private (cluster-court) to the semi-public to the
public, giving ample opportunity for socializing, leisure,
and play and giving the courtyard-cluster housing a more
open atmosphere. The implementation is carried out in a
two-track process that harmonizes both contractor-built
and community-built participatory construction activities
and strikes a balance among timely construction,
affordability, community participation, and creating a
sense of ownership.
However, despite the attempt in Garowe there is still a
nagging sense that more needs to be done. There is
so much potential in conscientious urban planning and
design that links people, buildings, and concepts and
integrates humanitarianism, architecture, and urban
planning in such a way that it returns to the social
contract upon which architecture and urban planning
is founded.
appropriate technology
Rene Dierkx, Programme Manager
Human Settlements, Shelter, IDPs
Garowe
The use of appropriate technologies in the
construction industry in the Somali context
Appropriate technology has been defined over the years
in many different ways, each depicting the viewpoint
and specific professional field of the writer. Sociologists
and appropriate technology specialists define it as
a technology that “fulfils a set of parameters”, e.g.
technology that has low capital or high local labour inputs,
or is socially acceptable or environmentally responsive.
Economists meanwhile describe appropriate technology
as “a technology that fits its context”. For the purpose
of this article, we will label appropriate technology as a
technology that is suitable for a specific circumstance,
context, or purpose and that, when fitted and adapted,
behaves as specified.
In the construction industry worldwide, it is crucial to have
an approach that is cost-effective, can be maintained
locally, does not exhaust natural resources, and does
not cause severe ecological damage. This approach to
construction borrows its ideas from the new localized
green thinking (“think global ‒ act local”), which in turn
evolved from the small-scale, grassroots, communitydriven project approach that Dr. E. F. Schumacher
describes with the phrase “technology as if people
mattered”. The application of appropriate technology
ranges from the use of locally found or produced
materials and techniques to a combination of local and
outside materials and techniques. The latter’s aim is
to develop local construction knowledge and skills.
Maximizing the application of local materials, techniques,
and technologies ensures sustainability.
In the Somali context ‒ particularly in UN-HABITAT’s
IDP shelter projects ‒ this approach unlocks the potential
for local material production and local construction skill
development. Conventional construction in Africa uses
cement-sand blocks made with cement-sand ratios from
1:4 to 1:6, bonded by either loam-soil or cement-sand
mortar. Cement in the Somali region is imported and
expensive; factors such as the prevailing winds (southeast monsoon or south-west monsoon) cause massive
fluctuation in the price of imported materials. As a result,
many wonder whether the use of cement in construction
can be eliminated altogether. There is thus a need for
construction designs, technologies, and materials that fit
the local context. Enter appropriate technology.
The shelter project in the northern Somali regions would
benefit from appropriate technology in the following
ways:
• Use of Stone Construction
The Somali region generally, but particularly the north
(Puntland and Somaliland), is rich in natural minerals,
which, if utilized, can bring significant savings both in
materials cost and logistics (less transport, no import
charges, etc.). The mining activities meanwhile provide
local employment opportunities. Garowe exists in a zone
of construction stone quarries. These stones, when
harvested and applied in the right way, are innovative
for the local construction industry: stone walls (instead
of cement-sand block walls) can significantly reduce the
use of cement in construction projects. Quarry stone
production would reduce costs; local competition would
set in as the skills trickle down among Somali artisans.
• Use of Locally Mined Building Lime
Lime plays a leading role in the construction industry. It
is normally used as a binding agent, although its binding
capacity might not be as good as that of cement. Lime
is believed to be in large stocks in the local quarries of
Puntland and Somaliland. It has even been used by some
individuals in their local construction. UN-HABITAT can
tap this potential to save on costs. Since lime can be
used in combination with cement and sand (in a 1:1:3
or 1:1:4 ratio) mortar, the cement required to produce
a certain volume of building mortar can be reduced.
Lime can also be used without cement, totally replacing
this expensive mortar ingredient. In addition, lime can
be used in combination with loam soil, as it acts as a
stabilizer for expansive soils (soils that swell when wet
and shrink when dry, such as clay and black cotton).
This would probably reinforce loam soil as a binder
which, though popular, is not strong or reliable, especially
when exposed to water. In block making, lime can also
be used either to replace the cement component in the
cement-sand block or to reduce the amount of cement.
For example, instead of the normal cement-sand ratio
of 1:4 or 1:5, it becomes 1:2:4 or 1:2:5.
• Skills and Training
Imparting skills is the most sustainable way of building
self-reliance within the local construction industry.
Training the local population to use locally acquired
construction materials and appropriate construction
techniques is indeed the best way to address long-term
shelter problems. This approach is likely to spur creativity
and innovation, which further promote sustainability. In
this area, UN-HABITAT has already taken a remarkable
step by proposing stone dressing skills training.
• Sustainable Plans and Designs
In the local construction industry, one of the most
important issues is “to translate” the plan or design
concept so that it enables the built object to come into
being. Local artisans should be empowered to “read”
shelter plans and designs for construction purposes,
even if they do not have the capacity to do the actual
design. This would enable the local technicians to play
their part in tackling the shelter issue, one of the global
goals of UN-HABITAT.
Deng Diar Diing, Shelter and Settlement Expert
Hargeisa
World Habitat Day 2008 in Somaliland
Street lighting and market rehabilitation projects inaugurated during festivities
All the officials who spoke agreed with the theme of the
day, “harmonious cities”. They stated that in order to
have development, all should be ready to contribute. It
was stressed that the business premises must be kept
clean and hygienic. The vendors were encouraged
to move indoors and do business within the market
perimeter, so as to relieve congestion in the area around
the markets.
The Minister of Interior opening Mohamed Mooge Market
infrastructure rehabilitation
World Habitat Day was celebrated on 6 October 2008 all
over the world, and Somaliland was no exception. The
theme for 2008 was “harmonious cities”.
To commemorate the day, several UN-HABITATMunicipality of Hargeisa projects were inaugurated:
• Street lighting projects for Hargeisa Hospital and a
nearby street
• The street lighting project in Ayaha II
• The Mohamed Mooge Market rehabilitation project
• The Inji Market rehabilitation project
Officials from the government, representatives of
international organizations, and community members
from the surrounding area attended the ceremony. The
occasion started with the official opening of the street
lighting projects in and around Hargeisa Hospital. Before
Abdulahi Ali Iro, the Minister of Interior, cut the ribbon, an
explanation was given on how the solar power system
works and its importance as a renewable source of
energy.
The second project to be inaugurated was the street
lighting project in Ayaha II. The Mayor of Hargeisa,
Hussein Mohamud Ji’ir, cut the ribbon. Later, during
the opening of the markets, the Minister of Interior, the
Mayor of Hargeisa, Libaan Hussein from UN-HABITAT,
and beneficiary representatives gave speeches. The
chairpersons from the Mohamed Mooge Market and
Inji Market committees highlighted how the rehabilitated
markets will boost business by attracting more
customers.
The rehabilitation of Inji Market, Hargeisa
Liibaan Hussein made it clear that the markets were “local
projects”, which are intended to develop and deliver good
services to the people. He further mentioned the need
for municipality follow-up and for the establishment of a
proper management system to safeguard sustainability.
Hussein mentioned that UN-HABITAT contributed
over 70 percent of the funds – the rest was from the
Municipality of Hargeisa and the market vendors.
In his speech at Inji Market, the Mayor of Hargeisa had
this to say: “I express my sincere and special thanks
to UN-HABITAT, UNA, the municipality, the Inji Market
Committee, and all the traders in this market. I also have
to thank the European Union for supporting these kinds
of projects. I must recognize the efforts made by the
market committee in collecting contributions from the
traders for the construction of the project. It is clear that
the Inji community is willing to maintain the new facilities
they have been provided with – that is why Inji Market is
ahead of other markets in Hargeisa.”
As part of the day’s entertainment, a quiz competition was
organized between the Standard Five classes of Ahmed
Ali Toor Primary School and Ayaha II Primary School.
Prizes were presented to the participants: books, bags,
pens, and two footballs, one for each school.
Local media, including Radio Hargeisa and Somaliland
National TV, covered the events. Newspapers such as
Geeska, Jamhuriya, and Haatuf and Somali websites
such as Hadhwanaag also published stories. From the
international media, Somali-language RAAD TV was
present.
Abdulahi Ibrahim, Engineer and Site Supervisor
Puntland local projects successfully completed
Slaughterhouses in Gardho and Garowe and a market in Bossaso ready for use
Following a “call for proposals” for local urban projects,
Puntland local consortia prepared action plans and project
proposals for suggested interventions under the SUDP.
Three projects were selected for further elaboration and
future implementation. In Gardho and Garowe, the local
consortia ‒ consisting of municipal authorities, community
groups, and other concerned stakeholders ‒ opted for the
construction of new public slaughterhouses. In Bossaso, the
selection process (based on criteria such as broad community
participation, inclusiveness, sustainability, and shared
benefits) ultimately favoured a proposal to construct a meat
and vegetable market in the eastern part of the city.
awarded subcontracts; UN-HABITAT provided technical
support, supervision, and backstopping. By the end of
July, the new Garowe and Gardho slaughterhouses were
substantially completed. Both facilities are now ready for
handover, eagerly awaited by the local livestock trading
community and meat vendors.
Work in Bossaso was further delayed by the sudden
withdrawal of a land donation for the new market facility.
However, through concerted efforts by the municipality, an
alterative suitable site was rapidly identified – differences in
size and orientation of the two plots necessitated a complete
The new slaughterhouse in Garowe
While the preparatory stages for the SUDP local projects
proceeded more or less simultaneously in Somaliland and
Puntland, their implementation in Puntland was delayed.
Firstly, the technical support required for the Somaliland
projects (involving infrastructural works at 14 public
facilities in 4 different towns) proved to be more demanding
than anticipated. Secondly, securing suitable land for the
proposed interventions in Puntland complicated the fully
fledged start of construction activities, as did the increasingly
volatile security situation in the region.
During the second half of 2007, the technical team was
able to mobilize to Puntland. The earlier work by the urban
planning team had to be reactivated by resuming the
consultation process with local consortia and direct project
beneficiaries. In some cases, this resulted in changes in
design; elsewhere, communities reviewed the entire project
planning process.
Construction works in Garowe and Gardho started in March
2008, after a competitive tender process conducted by
the local tender committee. The local authorities directly
redesign (after the subcontract had been awarded). New
vendor committees had to be established, as the newly
selected site was in a different area of the town. Against
all odds, the selected subcontractor managed to complete
the works to a very good standard by the end of September
2008. Vendors eagerly moved into the new market facility
and spontaneously established rules and procedures for the
operation and management of the facility, without further
assistance from the local authority.
In addition to the three interventions carried out within
the SUDP local project framework, UN-HABITAT also
completed two other important infrastructure projects in
Puntland during the course of 2008: the rehabilitation and
expansion of the Gardho Municipal Offices (with funding
from the Department for International Development and
SUDP), and a drainage and site-upgrading project at the
Old Airport settlement in Garowe (with financial support
from the Government of Japan and SUDP).
Marco van der Plas, Output Manager
Infrastructure, Reconstruction, and Basic Services
The new slaughterhouse in Gardho and the new market in Bossaso
Hargeisa and Garowe
IDP community visioning and post-occupancy evaluation
evaluation and participatory planning
Micro-planning sessions with children, youth, and adults
10
From July to August 2008, two UNHABITAT community workers, Asha
Ahmed and Adirahman Adan, carried
out community visioning and microurban planning sessions at Ayaha
IDP settlement in Hargeisa and the
Old Airport IDP settlement in Garowe.
Children, youth, and adults (three
different age sets) used narratives,
drawings, diagrams, poems, and even
songs to express how they felt about
their environment and what they wish
to see improved and developed. All the
groups felt that the following priorities
should be addressed: clean drinking
water, affordable education and health
facilities, play spaces, job opportunities
and social spaces for youth, housing
development, settlement landscaping,
urban greening, outdoor shading, and
access road improvement.
A post-occupancy evaluation was also
carried out among the IDPs, returnees,
and urban poor who were relocated
to permanent housing in both towns.
The survey aimed at evaluating current
living conditions in the settlements after
occupation; 45 families were randomly
sampled. Generally, the interviewed
occupants were content with their new
house. However, one-third aspired to
expand their house. Unemployment is
critical: nearly two-thirds of occupants
did not have a regular source of income.
Access to and affordability of potable
water is problematic: nearly half of the
families buy water, paying USD 0.25 for
20 litres. Education enrolment is low, with
nearly half of the families finding school
unaffordable. The average pupil-teacher
ratio is 41:1, and most interviewees said
that the learning spaces and school
grounds are inadequate and unsafe.
The results of both the community
visioning and post-occupancy evaluation
have had a direct influence on the
development of the Old Airport settlement
and will be used to effectively plan
upcoming UN-HABITAT interventions.
The exercises provide excellent baseline
data for monitoring project progress. The
information will also prove useful to the
broader humanitarian community.
The community interviewing process
Focus group discussions in Ayaha II
Micro-urban planning sessions
UN-HABITAT and local authorities
Burao market opened
On 16 December 2007, in a ceremony jointly organized
by the local council of Burao and UN-HABITAT, the Mayor
of Burao officially opened the town’s rehabilitated central
market. Members of the city council, the local consortium
of meat and vegetable sellers, youth organizations, and
women’s organizations attended the function, together with
representatives of international organizations.
During the ceremony, jubilant traders presented traditional
dances, as well as specially composed songs and a play.
The message of the drama was very clear: an improved
market with proper hygienic facilities could make a difference
to the lives of Burao residents. The Deputy Mayor of Burao,
Bashe Muse Mohamed, officially opened the inauguration
ceremony, thanking UN-HABITAT and UNA for the role they
played. He went on to say that without close collaboration
among the local consortium, Burao Municipality, and the
contractor, the project would not have been successful. He
expressed special gratitude to the market vendors for the
smooth relocation.
Speaking on behalf of International Labour Organization, Abdi
Abokor explained that this project was part of the effort to
provide Burao residents with improved, hygienic social services.
He stated that almost 2,000 vendors depend on this market.
Councillor Abdirahman Yusuf outlined some pressing needs
in Burao: the improvement of the slaughterhouse, expansion
of water storage and distribution facilities, and the construction
of low-cost houses for the urban poor and displaced. Ahmed
Aideed then explained the efforts of his agency, the Food and
Agricultural Organization, to improve the quality of both locally
consumed meat and exported meat.
The market in Burao during the rehabilitation
Mohamoud Hassan, the Mayor of Burao, thereafter expressed his
appreciation for UN-HABITAT’s role in the successful completion
of the project, mentioning staff members Katja Schafer and Asha
Mohamed. The mayor urged the local vendors to safeguard
the improved market and contribute to its sustainability. Marco
van der Plas, a former resident of Burao, spoke on behalf of
UN-HABITAT. He congratulated the people of Burao for the
achievements they have realized over the past few years, adding
that the successful market rehabilitation sent a strong message:
large projects can be accomplished in Burao.
Abdirahman Adan, Project Assistant
UN-HABITAT, NRC, and UNHCR
Land study published
In January 2009, UN-HABITAT, Norwegian Refugee Council, and UNHCR
published Land, Property, and Housing in Somalia. Authored by Gregory
Norton, the book is a detailed and comprehensive report that focuses on
the Somali legal frameworks and institutional systems relating to land and
on the historical background of the current landholding and ownership
patterns in Somalia. It also looks at a much wider range of social, cultural,
political, economic, and environmental contexts and examines some of the
theoretical debates on land issues, in order to apply them to the Somali
region.
The report was commissioned by Norwegian Refugee Council and UNHABITAT and funded by UNHCR and UN-HABITAT. It is intended to
assist and be read by a range of different parties involved or interested
(as donors or active agencies) in Somalia. In particular, it is aimed at those
who are carrying out:
• short- to medium-term shelter projects to meet the needs arising from
the current major displacement emergency in the country;
• longer-term projects to improve land management and administration,
local governance, and shelter provision;
• rule of law programming and major development projects relating to land;
• conflict resolution projects; and
• protection and general assistance projects for IDPs and returnees.
Inquiries about the book should be made at the UN-HABITAT Office for the
Somali Region; it can also be ordered through the UN-HABITAT website.
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UN-HABITAT Donors and Partners
European Commission The EC is the main donor of UN-HABITAT operations in
the Somali region. The commission provides funding and
technical and strategic guidance to programme design
and implementation.
Contacts:
United Nations Development Long-term cooperation exists between UNDP and
Programme UN-HABITAT, and this partnership extends to a wide range
of programmes, most prominently the UN Joint Programme
for Local Governance and Service Delivery.
Government of Italy The support of the Government of Italy has been consistent
throughout UN-HABITAT’s presence in the Somali region. It
funds shelter and service delivery programmes and is
involved in the elaboration of the new Joint Programmes.
Government of Japan The Government of Japan funds shelter interventions in
support of internally displaced people in Hargeisa, Garowe,
and Bossaso.
United Kingdom
Department for
International
Development
Through DFID, the Government of the United Kingdom
funds a number of governance-related interventions and
activities related to the Community-Driven Development
and Reconstruction Programme.
Swedish International SIDA financially supports UN-HABITAT for the implementation
Development Cooperation of shelter activities for IDPs and the urban poor
Agency in south central Somalia.
UN-HABITAT
Regional Office for Africa
and the Arab States
Alioune Badiane, Director
alioune.badiane@unhabitat.org
UN-HABITAT
Office for the Somali Region
Dorothee von Brentano
O-i-C / Chief Technical Advisor
sudp@unhabitat.org
Tel: +254 20 7625030
www.unhabitat.org/somaliregion
United Nations Children’s UNICEF financed the reconstruction of the tsunami-affected town
Fund of Xaafuun and partners with UN-HABITAT in the implementation of several activities.
The United Nations Office UN-OCHA, which manages the Humanitarian Response Fund, released some funds to support the
for the Coordination of reconstruction of the tsunami-affected village of Xaafuun. UN-OCHA and UN-HABITAT also collaborate in the
Humanitarian Affairs planning and implementation of IDP-related activities in Puntland and south central Somalia.
International Labour ILO has partnered and continues to partner with UN-HABITAT on a number of programmes: the Urban Development
Organization Programme for the Somali region, the Joint Programme for Local Governance and Service Delivery, and the IDP
resettlement intervention in the south.
World Food Programme WFP supports UN-HABITAT shelter activities by providing food-for-work at the construction sites of the
shelter projects.
United Nations UNHCR is a key UN-HABITAT partner for the implementation of land-, shelter-, and IDP-related activities.
High Commissioner UNHCR funds some IDP settlement upgrading components and supports joint research on land-related issues;
for Human Rights it also financed UN-HABITAT action planning activities in Mogadishu. In addition, UNHCR and UN-HABITAT
are co-chairs of the Somalia Shelter Cluster.
UNA The Italian NGO consortium UNA represents three Italian universities and a number of international NGOs.
UNA supports UN-HABITAT in the implementation of the urban services component, which includes solid
waste management and sanitation activities.
Danish Refugee Council DRC is one of UN-HABITAT’s closest implementing partners, particularly concerning community
development and IDP-related issues.
Norwegian Refugee Council NRC partners with UN-HABITAT in the implementation of land-related research and shelter activites for
IDPs and other vulnerable communities.
SAACIID SAACIID is a Somali NGO that has been implementing urban governance activities and local projects on
behalf of UN-HABITAT in south central Somalia.
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This newsletter was prepared by Ombretta Tempra and Edward Miller.
The opinions in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of UN-HABITAT and
the UN-HABITAT partners.
Cover photo: Temporary shelter in Ajuran IDP settlement in Bossaso.