In October 2006 Islamic Relief launched a water and sanitation project in the Puntland State of Somalia to improve access to water in this region.

Most of the population of the Puntland State are nomadic herdsmen. Access to water is essential for their livelihoods, as they depend on water for their livestock as well as themselves.

Somalia is one of Africa’s driest countries and a four-year long drought in the region has led to serious water shortages in the Puntland.

The five sources of water in the Puntland are surface run-off, rainwater harvested from roofs, hand-dug wells, springs and bore wells. During the dry season people rely on bore wells as most alternative water sources depend on rainfall. Nomadic herdsmen in the Puntland use bore wells all year round because in rural areas there is little access to other sources.

Over the last 15 years many bore wells in the Puntland have collapsed due to poor maintenance. Efforts to rehabilitate these wells have been slow and many wells are still not working.

Water shortages are most acute in the Mudug and Nagaal regions of the Puntland, where the largest numbers of nomadic herdsmen live.

Project Objectives

To improve the standard of living for nomadic herdsmen in the Puntland State, by providing them with access to safe, clean drinking water.

Project Activities

• Developing a comprehensive approach to the water problems in the area;

• Drilling bore wells deep into the earth using a donated drill rig;

• Training a group of people to maintain the bore wells.

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/