CARE has been providing emergency relief and lifesaving assistance to the Somali people since 1981.

Our main program activities since then have included projects in water and sanitation, sustainable herding activities, small-scale enterprise development, primary school education, teacher training, adult literacy and vocational training. We work in partnership with Somali and international aid agencies, civil society leaders and local authorities.

Fast Facts

Population: 11.03 million (July 2017 est.)
Life expectancy: 52.8 years (50.7 years male, 54.9 years female) (2017 est.)
Infant mortality: 94.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
Under-5 mortality*: 132 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
Maternal mortality: 732 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
Access to improved drinking water: 31.7% (69.6% urban, 8.8% rural)
Access to improved sanitation: 23.6% (52% urban, 6.3% rural)
Labour force participation rate^: 74.28% male, 18.62% female (2017 est.)
Percentage of seats held by women in national parliament^: 24.4%

Source: CIA World Factbook, *UNICEF, ^World Bank

Providing critical support

Somalia has been plagued by ongoing conflict for more than 30 years, forcing more than 2 million people to flee their homes in search of food and water.

Consecutive years of large-scale drought has killed livestock, dried up water supplies and decimated crops across East Africa. Families are dying not only from starvation but also from diseases such as cholera and measles because they lack clean water and sanitation.

We are providing emergency help to more than 655,000 people in Somalia, providing critical medicines, food aid, and cash vouchers, and making sure families have access to clean drinking water.

You can help millions at risk of starvation by donating to our East Africa Hunger Crisis.

Donate now

Support our ongoing work to create a more equal world.

Your donation can help end extreme poverty and give people the means to build a better future for themselves in countries like Somalia.

For those living in extreme poverty, your support brings education and training, healthcare and clean water, nutritious food, and new ways to earn an income. And in times of crisis, you help us deliver emergency relief.

Read more about our ongoing impact in Somalia:

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