Developing a social protection policy for Somalia

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Somalia, with technical support from WFP, UNICEF and Samuel Hall, designed a National Social Protection Policy with the objective of protecting ‘all groups, particularly the poor and vulnerable, against shocks, helps them to manage risks, and provide them with opportunities to overcome poverty, vulnerability, and exclusion.’ After an initial desk review phase, Samuel Hall hosted twenty consultations across all Federal Member States to gather input from government, UN, NGO, donor, and private sector actors on what a government-led social protection system could look like within the context of Somalia. The research team gathered information from relevant stakeholders on the nature and quality of already-existing social protection systems, as well as the varying gaps and needs among vulnerable communities in Somalia. The final product of this consultative process was a policy endorsed by the Federal Government of Somalia that seeks, at the household level, to protect the basic needs of vulnerable people, prevent the risk of falling into poverty, promote the realisation of productive potential, and transform existing societal structures that cause vulnerability in the Somali context.