PLATFORMS

LASANOD (SoOHA) – A village in northern Somalia’s Sool region has banned the use and sale of plastic bags, imposing penalties for offenders. The local administration of Bo’ame village, around 70 km east of Lasanod, announced a ban on plastic bags on 5 March, according to assistant chief area, Ahmed …

BAIDOA (SoOHA) – Over 4,000 families displaced by drought have arrived in Baidoa town since the beginning of the year. The families, who were pastoralists and farmers, fled from Ufurow, Gof-gadud Shebelow, Hawen, Idale, Misir, Buray, Gof-gadud Burey, Mora-gabay, El-garas villages in districts bordering the South West state capital, Baidoa. …

DADAAB (SoOHA) – A team of young women and men living in Dadaab town in northeastern Kenya have set up a brick-making business that has started to take off.  Having struggled to earn a living, and coming from pastoralist backgrounds, they are now supporting their families and dreaming of expanding …

NAIROBI (SoOHA) – Do not force Somali refugees to return back home in volatile areas, the Human Rights Watch warned Kenya on Thursday as the country prepares to shut down world’s biggest refugee camp. “The move threatens the rights and safety of 250,000 people, mostly Somali refugees and asylum seekers, …

The aid agency Oxfam published a report this week warning that up to 1.7 million people in Somaliland are in critical need of humanitarian assistance.  This number has increased by hundreds of thousands in recent months. Radio Ergo correspondent Ilyas Abdi asked OXFAM’s head of communications in Somalia, Abdiaziz Ali …

GALKAYO (SoOHA) – Three months ago, Mukhtar Qassim Ali moved his family out of a squalid IDP camp on the outskirts of Galkayo to a decent rented house that he can afford now that he is working as an electrician. Mukhtar, 27, was among 25 young people trained over a …

KAMPALA (SoOHA) – Regional experts on Monday started a three-day meeting to devise means of improving the livelihood and self-reliance of refugees and host communities in eastern Africa. A joint statement by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional body, and the Ugandan government said the meeting is attended …

NAIROBI (SoOHA) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Friday warned that drought will worsen in parts of Horn of Africa due to persisting dry conditions and unusually high temperatures. “In some parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia persisting drought is affecting water availability, grazing pastures and food security,” …

GAROWE (SoOHA) – Authorities in Puntland state can now be able to develop infrastructure for sustainable water and land use based on accurate and actionable data thanks to a newly launched project supported by the EU and FAO. The EU, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) jointly with the Puntland government …

ADAADO (SOHA) – Severe drought has forced dozens of families in central Somalia’s Mudug region to move away from their homes in search of water, after already losing thousands of goats. Following the failure of both rainy seasons – the gu’ and deyr – last year, 50 reservoirs that were the main source of …