According to the Bank’s website, the Strengthening Urban Resilience of Displaced and Host Communities in Doolow Project (SURDHT) aims to improve living conditions, resilience, and socio-economic inclusion for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in the town of Doolow, Southern Somalia. The project is executed by the National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions (NCRDS) and implemented by UNHCR, under a tripartite arrangement with the African Development Bank, leveraging UNHCR’s field presence and experience in fragile contexts. The project covers four major components: gender and youth empowerment, climate-resilient livelihoods, infrastructure development, and project management and institutional strengthening.

The development objective of the SURDHT project is to improve living conditions and promote local integration and self-reliance of IDPs living in four urban displacement settlements in Doolow. The project seeks to address long-standing fragility challenges—protracted displacement, inadequate housing, insecure land tenure, limited basic services, and high exposure to climate shocks. It aims to strengthen resilience through climate-adapted livelihoods, inclusive urban planning, disaster risk reduction, and improved governance. A strong focus is placed on empowering women and youth through skills development, entrepreneurship support, leadership training, and protection initiatives. By combining housing, infrastructure, economic inclusion, and social cohesion interventions, the project contributes to peacebuilding, stability, and long-term durable solutions in a region hosting over 120,000 residents and 142,000 IDPs.

The project directly targets 20,000 vulnerable IDP and host community households in Doolow, with strong emphasis on women, young people, and female-headed households — groups heavily affected by displacement and climate vulnerability. The project will provide 1,750 durable housing units, secure land tenure for 10,500 IDPs, improved infrastructure in four settlement areas, livelihood support for thousands of households, and targeted empowerment programs for women and youth. Up to 500 beneficiaries will receive leadership and skills training, 4,500 farmer field school groups will be established, and 150 Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) will be formed to strengthen financial inclusion. The project will also benefit local authorities through training on land administration, conflict mitigation, gender mainstreaming, and urban planning.

Environmental Category: [2] Moderate Risk

The project category is confirmed as Category 2 low to moderate risks, the justification of the category is based on the planned infrastructure interventions including housing for 1,750 households, rehabilitation of irrigation canals and roads in Doolow sites. The main impact receptors include the prevailing bio-physical environment, soil, water, vegetation, and local community.

The expected negative impacts will include dust and noise during construction, Soil erosion due to land clearance and excavation works, impacts on water resources, waste generated from construction works, vegetation impacts, social conflicts because of disputes over inequitable distribution and selection of beneficiaries, construction related accidents or incidents.

The total project cost is UA 17.96 million, of which UA 15 million is financed through a Transition Support Facility (TSF) Pillar I – Prevention Envelope grant. The Government of Somalia will contribute UA 2.96 million in kind.

Financial Instrument: Institutional Support and Rehabilitation Grant
Commitments (UA): 15,000,000
Conversion Rate USD (2026-03-08): 1,36276
Commitments (USD): 20,441,400

Name: Babati MOKGETHI
Email: b.mokgethi@afdb.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/request-for-documents. Under the AfDBs Disclosure and Access to Information policy, if you feel the Bank has omitted to publish information or your request for information is unreasonably denied, you can file an appeal at https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/appeals-process.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/