Hawa Feminist Coalition sent a mobile team to provide mental health and psychosocial support services to survivors of gender-based violence from drought-displaced communities in the Sanaag region of Somalia. Sanaag is one of the most drought-hit regions in Somalia, and as a result of four successive poor rainy seasons, large parts of the region are currently facing a severe drought, leading to acute water shortages, food insecurity, and malnutrition. These situations resulted in the displacement of a large number of people, mainly women and children, to urban towns like Badhan, the region’s capital city. These people live in precarious conditions and do not have their basic needs met due to inconsistent service provision or exclusion from accessing humanitarian support. Gender-based violence is very high among these communities due to poor shelter conditions and lack of protection in the informal settlements. They also lack access to services such as mental health and psychosocial support, despite this being one of their most pressing needs.
As a result, Hawa Feminist Coalition organized a mobile team, consisting of three volunteers, to travel to the Sanaag region and provide mental health and psychosocial support services to approximately 5,000 survivors of gender-based violence from drought-displaced communities in the Sanaag region of Somalia, particularly the displaced communities in and around the city of Badhan.
The mobile team plans to visit all survivors individually as per the procedure to provide the appropriate mental health and psychosocial support. They will also meet with women-led groups, and organizations working in the region, to discuss and provide sessions about mental health and psychosocial support, so they can continue to provide such support for the community.
Hawa Feminist Coalition has recently increased its mental health and psychosocial support activities as a result of the growing drought-displaced communities and prevalence of gender-based violence against women and girls in Somalia. Last year, the Hawa Feminist Coalition trained and engaged hundreds of young women volunteers and activists to provide mental health and psychosocial support for women and girls facing mental health problems due to gender-based violence in the districts of Bosaso in the Bari region and Qardho in the Karkaar region in Somalia.
Hawa Feminist Coalition is planning to train approximately 100 young women in mental health and psychosocial support in the Sanaag region. This initiative aims to increase the availability of sustainable mental health and psychosocial support services for survivors of gender-based violence who suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, particularly in the drought-displaced communities.
