Background:

In Mogadishu, most urban poor and displaced persons have little means of escaping the violence and meeting their basic needs. Lack of income, limited access to water and sanitation, inadequate shelter, and poor education and health facilities are some of the most burning concerns.

This project aims to upgrade priority community infrastructure, improving access to basic services for both the host community and IDPs and strengthening local governance and the linkages among the district authorities, key community leaders, and the IDP community. The project aims to improve livelihood opportunities.

The project targets 16 districts of Mogadishu (Hamar-jajab, Hamar-weyne, Yaqshid, Karaan, Hawl-wadag, Hodan, Shibis, Shingani, Wadajir, Wardhigley, Waberi, Bondhere, Abdul-aziz, Dharkeynley, Deynile, and Heliwaa) and the Bermuda area, providing each of these with a medium-sized grant.

The project builds on previous UN-HABITAT activities of a similar nature during the 2007─2009 period. In all 16 districts, leadership training and a district profiling exercise ─ involving a variety of district-level stakeholders ─ were conducted to identify key problems and opportunities.

The rehabilitation of neighbourhood markets that can stimulate the local economy and create jobs were of highest priority in most of the districts, together with the rehabilitation or construction of water wells. Projects implemented within this framework had, and will continue to have, an agreed special emphasis on IDP employment, enhanced livelihoods for the urban poor, improved public infrastructure and access to basic services for a broad target group, and microfinance development.