Crisis Response

DHAF supports organizations and projects that respond to public health- and climate-related disasters in Somalia and beyond. We are working to fill critical gaps in resources by supporting initiatives that provide marginalized, rural Somalis with humanitarian aid.

Combatting MAlnutrition

DHAF has long supported initiatives to address malnutrition. Each year in Hope Village, DHAF supported a Ramadan feeding program that provided free meals to thousands of families. In 2017, when drought hit Somalia, DHAF helped scale up this program to give free meals to more than 600 people per day and treat thousands of children for malnutrition.

In 2023, when another devastating drought and famine hit Somalia, DHAF fully funded an innovative malnutrition program that was implemented by our partner, the Hagarla Institute. Hagarla allocated cash transfers to 60 families with malnourished kids in urban and rural areas. The transfers helped ensure the families’ long-term food security. Hagarla also organized regular home visits by doctors, who tracked the children’s progress. The pilot was designed in partnership with faculty and students at the Yale School of Public Health.

Emergency humanitarian relief

In early 2023, in response to urgent needs arising from armed conflict on the Somalia/Somaliland border, DHAF provided funding to assist with the delivery of medical supplies to a local hospital.

RESPONDING TO COVID-19

When COVID-19 hit Somalia, our partner, the Hagarla Institute, was among the first organizations in the country to mobilize. With financial support from DHAF, Hagarla recruited 100+ volunteer Somali health professionals and medical students to respond to the crisis.

The volunteers did community health trainings in 12 different camps for internally displaced peoples, where there was no access to basic healthcare and people were at exceptionally high risk of contracting, spreading, and dying from COVID-19. Hagarla’s workshops focused on critical preventative techniques such as handwashing and masking.

Hagarla also helped to debunk misinformation about COVID-19 by organizing 100+ Zoom webinars for members of the public.

DHAF is fiscal sponsor for the Hagarla Institute. If you want to donate to the Hagarla Institute, please write “Hagarla” in the notes box when making your donation.