Emergency response
Projects
The Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004 devastated entire towns in south-east Asia and claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people. However, the strong tidal waves continued further to cause widespread damage. They reached the Somali coastline, which stretch some 3,333 square-kilometres.
The worst-affected was the 650 km stretch of the Somali coastline between Hafun (in Bari region) and Garacad (north Mudug region, including the coastal areas of Nugal region). These three regions had already been affected by 4byears of consecutive drought and periodic floods. The impact of the tsunami further undermined the livelihoods of both pastoralists and the fishing communities that are interdependent and already very vulnerable. The area was in dire need of emergency relief, with the devastated fishing community desperately in need of restorative measures to continue with their livelihood.
TASS stepped in with measures to relieve humanitarian suffering by the distribution of vital food rations to the Hafun district, support for fishermen and the restoration of at least one school.
Restoring Fishing Livelihoods
The initial response in the wake of the disaster was to conduct a rapid assessment to scope the nature and extent of the impacts. TASS established that there were hundreds of fishermen whose fishing gears were destroyed by the tsunami quake. On completion of the preliminary assessment, TASS shared the findings with all relevant donors, so that they could contribute to the fundraising process. This was done in close collaboration with community elders, the provincial administration represented by the local district commissioner and cross-section of distinguished opinion leaders from all over the district.
This and an initial strong sense of local ownership exemplified by cash contributions by the community coupled by a demonstrated support and goodwill from the local administration, jointly worked to enable the TASS team to perform relief work with speed and effectiveness. External funding mainly came from Mercy USA for Aid and Development (MUSA). With this money, the purchase of fishing gears commenced. The first phase of the project began in April 2005 and the distributions of the fishing gears were completed successfully. A total of 250 fishermen benefited from the first phase of the program while the second phase officially started in June 2005 to distribute the same amount of fishing gears to tsunami-affected areas.
Food aid for Hafun district
In a pre-requisite assessment, TASS discovered there were many children who were suffering from malnutrition and were lacking foods with the proper nutrition like milk powder. Among the first local groups to respond to TASS appeal was the Waberi Group, a rare gesture from an otherwise small-scale Somali business consortium that generously donated to the fundraising activities aimed at alleviating the suffering and restoration of the dignity of the people, particularly the residents of Hafun district and adjacent villages. It was imperative that a strong task team, under the leadership of a program coordinator, be established to implement the various project components and activities. A strategy was formulated in collaboration with community elders, the local district commissioner and a cross-section of distinguished opinion leaders from all over the district. Included in the strategy and compiled in consultation with these local stakeholders was a list containing particulars of target beneficiaries in the area. This helped TASS to easily and effectively reach out to all deserving cases and in addition enhanced the effective performance of operational activities on time. The established program team, with the assistance of the local district commissioner and community elders undertook the distribution of the powder milk and other food donations additionally funded by Mercy USA for Aid and Development. Every child received a can of an easy to prepare and high energy milk formula. The remaining milk donation (amounting to some 478 cans) was distributed equally to deserving elderly people who were equally eligible for relief supplies.
Education Project
Basic teaching and learning processes that underline formal public education were badly affected. Virtually all local schools had their physical facilities destroyed grounding all teaching and learning activities to a complete halt. It was on this basis that TASS developed a project proposal outlining the educational assessments and the need for an educational project. Consequently, Oxfam NOVIB responded positively and the proposal that too had the backing of the local population was put to action kicking off the ground in November 2005.
Garowe, with its centrality as regards the high population of the Internally Displaced Persons (from the tsunami and the post-civil war period) was chosen to host the project that involved the construction of a new school complex- complete with eight classrooms, an office block and toilet facilities. TASS is keen to note that the project was successfully completed in March 2006 as envisaged in the planning schedule. This is an exceptional investment in the rich, the poor, both boys and girls and offshoot of prompt response to both man-made and naturally occurring calamity.