Hormuud Salaam Foundation pledges land for 10,000 displaced families in Somalia

HSF Photo: The Hormuud Salaam Foundation (HSF) is the philanthropic arm of Hormuud Telecom and Salaam Somali Bank.

Geneva - At a forum in Geneva, co-hosted by the UN and Somalia’s Ministry of Planning, the CEO of Hormuud Salaam Foundation (HSF), Abdullahi Osman, unveiled a major initiative to tackle displacement in Somalia. Osman announced the donation of land valued at $7 million for the permanent resettlement of 10,000 families displaced by conflict, environmental degradation, and climate change.

The pledge, made as part of Somalia's National Solutions Pathways Action Plan, targets establishing a sustainable living environment for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Jazeera, south of the capital Mogadishu. Osman added that the lack of stable settlements has been a persistent challenging issue for aid organizations have struggled to find permanent places for IDPs to settle and rebuild their lives.

This act of corporate social responsibility by HSF, the philanthropic arm of Hormuud Telecom and Salaam Somali Bank, addresses a critical need in Somalia, where approximately one-third of the population is displaced. "This donation is pivotal," Osman stated during an interview with VOA's Somali service, "as it tackles the root challenge of stable settlements for IDPs."

Somalia's Minister of Planning, Mohamud Beenebeene, donors, and aid agencies praised the HSF move and called on other businesses to follow suit in aiding the nation's IDPs. The country has experienced a surge in displacement, with over two million people moved by natural disasters in 2023 alone.

The initiative could significantly alter the lives of the IDPs, offering them stability in an area housing more than 400,000 displaced individuals. These families currently reside in makeshift camps in rented land around Mogadishu, grappling with uncertainty, evictions, and basic living conditions.

The forum attendees thanked the HSF for land donation to complement national and international efforts in providing long-term solutions for Somalia's displaced. This grant symbolizes a collaborative effort with global humanitarian initiatives, with Hormuud Telecom's involvement in facilitating humanitarian cash transfers for IDPs.

GAROWE ONLINE