Mobile Money: A Tool To Reach Those Most Affected By Somalia’s Drought
By: Ahmed Mohamed Yusuf, CEO of Hormuud Telecom
It’s been almost two months since the first bells sounded the alarm that Somalia is on the verge of another famine, moving the UN to announce that a quarter of the Somali population is in need of $1.3 billion in urgent assistance.
In response to this, the Somali National Emergency Committee, a private sector coalition led by Hormuud Telecom, has stepped up raising $2 million. Yet, due to security issues, it has been hard for us to send relief to those most in need. This is why we leaned on well-trodden, innovative, albeit digital pathways.
The areas most affected by the ongoing drought are some of Somalia’s most rural. The remote locations mean that delivering food aid can be time-intensive, a luxury we currently do not have. Considering the growing numbers of Somalis who are struggling, we are now facing down the barrel of a famine.
The crisis we’re seeing unfold has agonising parallels to the famine of 2011, which saw 260,000 fatalities nationwide. In an article in Conflict and Health, this tragic failure was attributed to a lack of humanitarian presence on the ground, the inability to access those most in need, and insufficient funds.
10 years down the line, we now have options, and the key one is mobile money. We’re imploring humanitarian organisations to not repeat mistakes made in 2011 that resulted in excess casualties. We encourage our international partners to double down on technologies that can deliver direct cash aid, using Somalia’s pre-existing infrastructure.
This is why, in 2021, Hormuud Telecom’s launched its humanitarian portal. Its aim was to provide a traceable, efficient, and timely way to distribute cash assistance via EVC Plus from anywhere in the world. With mobile money transactions totaling approximately $2.7 billion a month according to the World Bank, it is an effective and nimble solution to reaching those affected by the famine. With it, humanitarian organisations can donate $1 million to 10,000 beneficiaries with just a click of a button.
Unconditional cash transfers are not a silver bullet. However, putting cash directly in pockets can help families cope with rising food and water prices and negate some of the immediate impacts of the crisis. They can empower families, internally displaced and without an income, with the flexibility to access a range of services and supplies, such as lifesaving basic medical care and tents. Cash transfers enable families to buy what is most crucially needed and allow them to survive with dignity.
The current aid contributions are just a drop in the bucket of what is required, but it is a start. We’ve got the infrastructure in place to help those hardest to reach. It’s now time to use it.
