"Somalia is currently experiencing the worst drought in 42 years", writes ADRA Switzerland, Adventist Development and Disaster Relief Agency in its newsletter. There are 6.2 million people in Somalia that have not enough to eat or drink. Together with the 'Glückskette', a Swiss collection agency, the relief will provide 600 households of about 3,600 people with vouchers and money until the end of the year. The vouchers can be used by families in exchange for water. ADRA Somalia, the partner organization on site, puts credit on a family mobile phone every month. This allows the family to buy food and other urgent necessities. The survival aid is carried out in the regions of Nugal and Sool, in Puntland, the intependent state of northeastern Somalia.
On February 28, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, declared a state of emergency and asked the international community for help. Chronic poverty, uprisings, security problems and displaced families all contribute to the sad situation in the country, comments ADRA. The seasonal rain at the beginning of the year failed completely and thus also the harvest. Because of the prevailing drought the cattle which are the peasants' main livelihood, have been lost. In addition, many families would move from the country to the cities or to some urban concentration. There, they hoped for help from relatives or the international community.
With the vouchers and credit balances on the mobile phones, the beneficiary families would be able to cover 50 to 70 percent of the monthly expenses, writes ADRA. When registering for the project, the number of the mobile phone must be indicated so that the credit can be easily transferred on a monthly basis, said Johannes Baumgartner, responsible for ADRA Switzerland for programs in Africa. Through the telephone number, the project team could also find out whether the money has arrived and whether everything is in order.
ADRA cooperates with local authorities and villagers. These would suggest families who were particularly poor and should benefit from the help. Coordination with other relief organizations ensure that families do not profit twice. The 'Glückskette' finances 80 percent of the costs, 242,000 francs (219,000 euros), with the project of six months running time and ADRA Switzerland 48,000 francs (43,900 euros).
Link to ADRA Somalia, partner organization on site: http://www.adrasom.org/en/
ADRA Switzerland
ADRA Switzerland (www.adra.ch) was founded in 1987 as a relief agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Switzerland. It is an association certified in the commercial register, based in Zurich. The charitable organization enjoys tax exemption and has been certified by the Swiss Centre for Charitable Collections Non-Profit Institutions (ZEWO). ADRA Switzerland is one of the partner relief organizations of the Swiss Glueckskette: www.glueckskette.ch. ADRA Switzerland is part of a network of some 130 regional and national ADRA country offices, providing assistance regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity.