"Too many children simply have no future anymore."

Since 2020, Somalia has repeatedly experienced severe droughts that have destroyed livelihoods and exacerbated conflicts over scarce resources. Now, the lack of international aid is worsening the situation: Dr. Abdullahi Hersi, project manager of the organization NAPAD, reports on the situation on the ground in this interview.

Dr. Hersi, in January 2025, the US and other countries began to drastically cut their investments in development aid. What impact has this had on the situation in Somalia so far?

The consequences are severe. We are dealing with a life-threatening crisis, fueled by a multi-year drought. More than 9 million people are affected by water shortages, armed conflict, and diseases such as cholera. 

And in this situation, water supply programs and hunger relief measures are being cut, as are healthcare projects. Agricultural training programs, which were used to combat poverty and hunger, have been discontinued. These projects were particularly important in helping people generate their own income. Now they have no help and no work. 

Are you also directly affected by the cuts?

NAPAD didn't receive direct funding from USAID, but we did receive indirect funding through collaborations with UN agencies and other international organizations. Therefore, we also had to reduce our staff. We were about 120 people. We had to lay off 80 colleagues. We're talking about specialists in psychology and agriculture, social workers, and engineers who worked on the irrigation systems. 

Furthermore, partner organizations that received US funding were forced to close, in some cases completely. This simultaneously increased the need for aid. All of this is occurring in an environment where large segments of the population live at the poverty line and suffer from hunger. And 75 percent of the population are young people – they are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking or recruitment by armed groups.  

Recruitment by militias – can you briefly explain the problem? 

The state in Somalia is not strong. Armed groups in shifting alliances are constantly fighting over scarce arable land and water resources. Added to this is the presence of terrorist groups like the Islamist Al-Shabaab militia.

As a result, the recruitment of young people by these armed groups is unfortunately becoming more frequent again. Al-Shabaab in particular, but also some government-affiliated militias, have recruited children, starting with boys around the age of 14.  

Too many children and teenagers simply have no future prospects. And then a militia comes along and says to a boy, "Hey, I'll give you $100 a month." That $100 is a huge sum for him. This boy doesn't consider the risk, especially since he has no point of comparison or other information. Incidentally, child marriage is a similarly widespread risk for girls, also starting at the age of 14. 
 

They also addressed the problem of human trafficking, meaning the smuggling of people into the streets.

When they're hungry, people, especially those from nomadic areas, usually go to the cities to find work. But of course, there are hardly any opportunities there either. And then there are always smugglers around. Human trafficking is common because, at the end of the day, people say, "If I agree to be taken somewhere, I could get a better life or die. But if I stay here, I'm going to die anyway." That's the kind of decision they make—and that applies particularly to many young people. 

Migration abroad is expensive. And there are plenty of stories about sons who go to other countries to look for work—and then the families get a call from someone in Libya who says, “We have your child. I will kill him if you don’t pay $5,000.” What do you do then? You don’t have $5,000, but you might never see your child again. So the parents go here and there, hoping to get a contribution from friends. And ultimately, the child can still die because the blackmailers take the money and make the child disappear. 

What can NAPAD do about it? How are you trying to create new opportunities locally?

Sadly, the loss of external funding has increased the need for emergency aid. At NAPAD, we are therefore initially working with a three-pronged approach: emergency relief, conflict prevention, and education. By continuing to build and improve water supply systems, we address the immediate needs of the community. At the same time, the impact will last. That is what we are doing right now: measures that can save lives here and now, but that won't disappear tomorrow. 

One of the criticisms currently leveled at development cooperation is that it is not sustainable and creates too much dependence on aid money. What would you say to that?

This picture is distorted. It's not as if we hand out food parcels and tomorrow people have nothing to eat again. What works instead is promoting self-reliance, creating sustainable solutions for the community – solutions that remain and continue to function even after the project has ended. Clearly, this doesn't happen overnight. 

What role does support for children and young people play in this? 

Education and training remain, of course, the key to a better future for everyone. We have built schools and we train people to become teachers. We also promote access to education, especially for girls: This also means that we talk to parents, particularly in nomadic communities, so that they actually send their children to school. 

We are also committed to ensuring that children are not forced into child warfare, child labor, child marriage, or other forms of abuse. NAPAD provides training in child protection for youth leaders, teachers, and community representatives, ensuring there are contact persons who can help or intervene if something is wrong. Children can also receive legal assistance from us if they are victims of child rights violations. 

For older children and teenagers, there are further education and training opportunities: They can train in veterinary medicine to work for farmers or to raise livestock themselves and thus secure an income. There is also the possibility of becoming a community health worker. Many communities have established basic hospitals, hygiene structures, and sanitation facilities, and this work is in demand. 

Another option is for the young people to take over the maintenance of the newly constructed irrigation systems, boreholes, and solar panels that supply electricity to the irrigation systems. In each of these cases, the aim is for the young people to earn an income in a reasonable and safe way for minors, while gaining work experience. 

How do you experience the children and young people themselves in the project? What are their hopes? 

There are indeed many young people who say that they have to do something, that we can't simply continue as before. Political awareness is growing, young people are informing themselves. Because they are now trying to stand up for their rights. That is certainly one of the most positive developments I see at the moment. 

What motivates you personally, what gives you hope?

I think every crisis holds hope. I'm convinced that we will one day emerge from this crisis as well. In fact, if you compare the situation in 2011 with today, for example, you can see that some things have improved. Although there have been and still are droughts. Violence has decreased: Al-Shabaab is still present, but not to the same extent as before. In the long run, you realize that things can gradually improve.

Interview: Stephan Pohlmann

17.06.2026