July to September 2025
Trends and analysis
16 October 2025
This report is written by the Talk to Loop Global and the Somalia & Somaliland team, with ongoing insights and support from our national host, Raagsan. Their expertise in the Somali context, helps ensure the platform is appropriately contextualised. This report reflects that collaboration.
To download the pdf version of the report click here.
To download the report summary click here.
Between July and September of 2025 Talk to Loop received ⬇️21,724 calls from community members, ⬇️1338 pieces of feedback were published. Most significantly Loop handled a total of ⬆️ 351 sensitive reports, marking a significant increase from the previous quarter (275) and an increase in the percentage of feedback received overall. The number of sensitive cases opened increased steadily over the quarter, with 104 in July, 111 in August, and 136 in September, indicating a clear upward trend in sensitive feedback reporting through Talk to Loop. Between April and June 2025 for example, Loop represented 66% of all sensitive feedback being reported on the Somalia Aggregate CFM data, which collates feedback across 25 of the largest call centres and monitoring systems from across Somalia.
There was a decrease in the percentage of open feedback from women but a significant increase in sensitive feedback from women and girls. Interestingly people identifying as being from a minority clan were all men and all speaking on behalf of themselves and others in their community.
Conversely sensitive feedback was primarily from women (89%) and people reporting about things that happened to them (99%), (an increase from previous quarters where witnesses, parents or others also reported incidents). This sharp rise in self-reporting may indicate growing trust and confidence in the platform, as well as improved accessibility for individuals to share their concerns directly, without relying on intermediaries. The majority of sensitive reports came from people who had heard about Loop via word of mouth, and sometimes other sources as well.
The main shocks which are affecting communities this quarter are both the prolonged impact of drought and sudden onset flooding. The most profound shift is the increase in reports of ⬆️water scarcity and drought, which soared to 17% (4%, Q2; 6%, Q1). These requests for help originate from a wide variety of locations, with the crisis heavily concentrated in the Mogadishu/Banadir IDP corridors (Kahda and Daynile). The hardest-hit area is the Sanaag region, which reports a prolonged drought leading to near-total livestock loss and famine-like conditions. Floods were reported in the Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions.
Individuals and families in these regions report extreme hunger, often describing having "no food to feed children" and going to sleep hungry. These requests are rooted in immediate, life-threatening deprivations and struggle for basic calories.
These climate crises push vulnerable families, especially a high concentration of female-headed households into immediate survival mode. Many become displaced in search of food and water, resulting in forcing them to rely on external support for survival while in IDP and refugee camps. This has a multiplier effect with displaced persons living in IDP camps and refugee camps explicitly stating they are in debt for rent or can no longer afford to pay for their rented rooms. Geographically, these requests are heavily concentrated in urban displacement corridors like the Kahda district and other low-income villages.
The overwhelming demographic profile of those seeking support is defined by extreme vulnerability and complex care burdens, with a strong bias to women as caregivers. The appeals frequently come from female-headed households, including divorced or abandoned mothers, and mothers caring for up to ten children (sometimes not their own), the elderly or PLWD.
Over 81% of all messages request immediate, life-sustaining aid, with cash assistance being the most frequent request, accounting for over 37% of requests and originating from a wide variety of locations, often overlapping with the IDP corridors or drought affected regions. For example: Mogadishu’s Kahda and Daynile IDP Corridors, the drought-stricken Sanaag Region.
People overwhelmingly requested cash assistance/ financial support primarily to meet the most essential immediate needs: to buy food, resolve urgent, sometimes multi-month rent debt to avoid eviction, and cover basic utilities and necessary medical costs. In both IDP camps and rural regions, this financial support is critical for immediate survival, often driven by the total collapse of livelihoods (farming/livestock) caused by drought and flooding. The most vulnerable are disproportionately orphans, displaced families, and single mothers, who are forced to pull children out of school to survive after drought and conflict have destroyed their primary livelihoods. The lack of nearby, functional and affordable schools, especially in rural and newly established IDP areas, remains a significant physical obstacle, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and exclusion for vulnerable youth.
The aggregate data shows the increasing impact of slow onset crises. Some feedback could be useful for early warnings and risk reduction activities, with people reporting cholera symptoms, or sudden onset conflict.
The trends of the impact of droughts in some areas aligns with the feedback received by Radio Ergo. They highlight drought conditions affecting water supply, livelihoods and livestock.
Sensitive reports:
Among the 117 gender-based violence (GBV) reports received this quarter, the majority (63%) were related to intimate partner violence (IPV), indicating that economic stressors may exacerbate the occurrence and severity of IPV, pointing to a potential need for integrated protection and livelihood support for affected households.
The second most reported GBV concern was sexual assault and rape (26%), primarily reported in Mogadishu, with perpetrators often unknown to the survivor. Incidents frequently occurred while women were engaging in daily activities, such as collecting firewood, gathering scraps to sell, harvesting food or doing laundry work.
This quarter, ⬇️ 28 sensitive reports (8%) were submitted by individuals self-identifying as belonging to minority or marginalised communities. Most of these individuals identified as members of the Madhiban community or Bantu groups, including Eyle, Jareer, Jareer Rer Shabelle, Shiidle, and Mushunguli. Additionally, one report was received from an individual identifying as part of the Ashraf religious minority. This percentage is high compared to the number of minority or marginalised communities sharing open feedback. Half (50%) of their sensitive reports concerned GBV. The remaining reports mainly related to service-level complaints and aid diversion. A few cases also mentioned exclusion or discrimination, although these issues were not explicitly linked to the authors’ minority status.
86 referrals were made for assistance in protection-related cases, including 21 for immediate assistance. 28 allegations related to corruption, fraud, and service-level complaints were referred this quarter.
During this reporting period, ⬆️ 91% of all referrals received an acknowledgment from the relevant organisation, the highest from INGOs (98%), then NNGOs (88%) and UN agencies at 69% only. While we continue to onboard national government staff, this quarter we didn’t receive any sensitive reports for Government Entities.
Of the 86 protection referrals made this quarter, 67 survivors have already received services including case management, psychosocial support, counselling, medical assistance, as well as some economic and in-kind support.
Aid effectiveness:
Our new tagging system has helped to identify issues related to the effectiveness of the Aid system. The top three themes signal that systemic challenges exist in: equitable selection; physical reach; and prompt delivery. These are impacting the community’s trust in service providers and their ability to receive crucial support.
There are also widespread concerns about aid failures, citing incomplete registrations (310 families left unassisted in Dhagahdheer), non-delivery of promised aid, and registration processes failing to reach vulnerable areas (Towfiq neighborhood, Baidoa).
The consistent volume of tags for the Communication theme also underscores that even if programs are well-designed, a lack of clear, proactive information sharing hinders community participation and leads to mistrust. Much of the requests or concerns are from people whose expectations were raised due to assessments or registration processes. They wonder why others are receiving aid when they are not. With no answers trust is eroded as they are concerned someone else is using their data to access services they are entitled to. People report key segments of the community feeling unfairly excluded. This includes reports from representatives of minority groups.
There is a strong sense of solidarity when reading the feedback. For example, people report providing support for other family and non-family members even when they have very little themselves, and people are often advocating for other populations who are also in need.
Loop is available to communities in Somalia/Somaliland mainly via our Voice channel 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All incoming feedback undergoes moderation by trained Somalis who speak the relevant dialects, including Maxaatiri, Maay, Benadiri, Bajuuni, Barawani Chimini and Kizigua-Mushunguli.
Thousands of people call Loop’s toll-free number (2023) and moderators follow our protocols to either publish the feedback, refer it internally to the Sensitive Feedback Lead, or reject it.
During this quater, Loop received ⬇️21,724 calls from community members, a 33% decrease from Q2 (32,710), and a 44% decrease from Q1 2025 (39,000). This reduction is in some part due to mobile network issues and some internal systems issues which are now resolved. We expect numbers to increase significantly in Q4.
⬇️1338 pieces of feedback were published marking an 11% decrease from Q2 (1501) and from Q1 2025 (1,515), yet remains an increase (50%) from Q4 2024 (888) and a 130% increase from Q1 2024 (580). There have been fluctuations in community feedback over the past year, as shown in figure 1.
Loop is available to communities across the whole of Somalia/Somaliland.
Feedback is generally consistent across most regions, with some regions seeing fluctuations, often linked to awareness raising activities by organisations using Loop inviting people to feedback, or sudden onset crises. Compared to Q2, feedback volume ⬇️ significantly decreased across most regions.
Notable drops include Lower Shabelle (53, down from 84), Woqooyi Galbeed (33, down from 53), and Hiran(21, down from 42).
This trend was offset only by an ⬆️increase in feedback from Kismayo, Lower Juba (21) (up from 7 submissions in Q2). The feedback in Kismayo increased as a direct result of awareness raising activities. In⬆️58% of the feedback (54%, Q2), people opted not to share their location.
Quotes from people in Kismayo:
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Language and dialect usage
Loop’s Voice channel is available in six languages/ dialects across Somalia/ Somaliland: Maxaatiri, Maay, Benadiri, Bajuuni, Barawani Chimini and Mushunguli-Kizigua. However, usage remains heavily skewed, with Maxaatiri accounting for ⬆️85.4% of feedback and Maay for ⬇️14.2% and ⬆️0.4 (or 6) in Mushunguli-Kizigua. The other languages/ dialects had minimal engagement.
⬇️35% of open feedback in this quarter were from females. While this is less than the last 2 quarters (41%, Q2; 34% in Q1) it is still higher than Q4, 2024 where participation from females was at its lowest since Loop’s launch in Somalia and Somaliland (28%).
↔️6% of feedback (76) was recorded by children and adolescents aged 14-17, similar to Q2 2025 and a steady increase from Q4 2024 (3%). This percentage might be higher, as ⬆️66% of users opted not to share their age, which is a slight increase from Q2 2025 (61%).
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Among this age group, ⬆️ 50% of them provided their locations (43%, Q2), most of the children and adolescents who contacted Loop came from Mogadishu (7) followed by Middle Shabelle (5) and Mudug (4).
Girls recorded ⬇️24% of the feedback coming from children and adolescents, and ⬆️three children mentioned living with a disability (3, Q2).
The vast majority ⬇️81% (83%, Q2) of feedback from children and adolescents consisted of requests for assistance. ⬇️31% (35%, Q2) were requests for cash assistance, which continues to be a significant drop from Q1 (70%). The next largest request was ⬇️13% (14%, Q2) for food items. Other requests were related to WASH, Shelter and Education or in relation to Loop’s services.
Feedback recorded by older people continues to drop; ⬇️1.5% (2% Q2; 4% Q1) of users were 60 years old or more. ⬆️45% (30% Q2; 19%, Q1), of this feedback was from females. ⬇️One older person mentioned that she lives with a disability. Where the location is mentioned, ⬆️4 mentioned Gedo (2 Q2; 4 Q1), ⬆️ 2 mentioned Nugal and ⬇️0 (3 Q2; 10 Q1) older persons mentioned Lower Shabelle, marking a significant drop in feedback from that region. All the feedback from the elderly consisted of requests for cash assistance, general assistance and food items.
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Quotes from elderly feedback:
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↔️2% (32) of feedback came from people living with disabilities (PLWD) (2% or 32 in Q2, 3% or 43 in Q1). Among those: 10 were women and 21 were men. Where location is mentioned, most of the feedback from PLWD came from Lower Shabelle (4) Lower Juba, Hiran, Galgaduud, Gedo, and Togdheer.
Of those people who reported living with a disability, according to the Washington definitions, ⬆️the majority (22) did not specify their disability, followed by those having difficulties in walking (6) and seeing (3).
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Quotes from PLWD:
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Of the total users in Q2 2025, ⬇️0.2% or 4 reported being caregivers for PLWD. Among these caregivers, ⬆️3 (or 75%) were female (67%, Q1), while 1 was male. As in the previous period, this contrasts with the overall female usage of Loop (35%) during the same period, indicating that women disproportionately shoulder caregiving responsibilities for PLWD.
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Quotes from carers of PLWD:
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⬆️Four people who self-identified as belonging to minority communities used Loop in Q2 (3, Q2; 2, Q1), and all of them were male. It is possible that more people providing feedback are from minority communities but they chose not to identify themselves. Open feedback from minority communities continues to be very low, but this is in contrast to sensitive reports, being consistently higher from minority groups, and growing. See sensitive reporting later in the report.
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Although we have seen a slight drop in ⬇️Requests for Assistance (81%) (88%, Q2), it continues to dominate community feedback. As funding and services continue to be reduced, people understand that their requests might be unanswered or met with negative responses. Nevertheless, this drop in requests is the inverse of protection related requests which continue to rise month on month.
The community feedback reveals a dire situation driven by the acute convergence of poverty, food access concerns, and persistent climate shock. Approximately 17% of messages detailed the severity of these climate events, citing a destructive shift from prolonged drought - leading to total livestock loss in regions like Sanaag, to devastating flooding that has wiped out staple farms and crops in areas like Middle Shabell. This environmental destruction pushes vulnerable families, especially the high concentration of female-headed households in IDP corridors like Kahda and Daynile, into immediate survival mode. Consequently, over 87% of all messages request immediate, life-sustaining aid, with cash assistance being the most frequent request, accounting for over 37% of requests.
Compounding this suffering are some concerns related to aid delivery: reports of delayed distributions, accessibility and inclusiveness of aid, as well as other concerns related to “Aid effectiveness” that we discuss later in this report.
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↔️Requests for information constitute 5% of the total feedback received. ⬇️84% (88%, Q2) of these requests came from individuals seeking clarity about Loop’s purpose, services or operations.
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Loop replies to community members directly with standard information about our specific role as a tool for them to raise their feedback and ideas to specific organisations that they know of, operating in their area, and we tag those organisations inviting them to reply directly to the community members. We continue to refine, improve and test our communications language. We have an open library of tools for organisations to use, all translated in advance to minority groups.
⬆️Concerns constitute 3% (2%, Q2) of the total feedback received, with resource scarcity, aid distribution failures, and systemic vulnerability forming the core themes. Resource issues continue to be dominated by water (similar to Q2), including severe drought, contaminated wells causing sickness (diarrhoea in Harwanag IDP camps), and extreme access difficulty (up to a 5-hour walk to access water). Concerns about aid failures are recurrent, citing incomplete registrations (310 families left unassisted in Dhagahdheer), non-delivery of promised aid, and registration processes failing to reach vulnerable areas (Towfiq neighborhood, Baidoa). Geographically, IDP settlements in Adado(Harwanag/Hadh-wanaag) report issues post-shelter-provision, specifically needing electricity/security, clean water, toilets, and addressing the issue of shelters being built too far from work (5km).
Critical demographic barriers are highlighted in concerns: the Mushunguli-Kizigua community in Kismayo report exclusion due to language barriers, while, minority communities especially in IDP camps, report being excluded from Aid. Other key concerns include loss of rural livelihood (goats/farms destroyed by flood/drought), armed clan conflicts (Heraale, Kahandhale, Galkayo), and youth unemployment (Mogadishu).
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⬆️The “Thank You” messages (6%) (4%, Q2) from communities confirm the positive impact of humanitarian organisations while often pairing gratitude with urgent appeals for project expansion. Specific agencies praised include NRC, repeatedly thanked for providing houses/ shelters in IDP camps (Harwanag, Hadh-wanaag) and for creating livelihood opportunities through local labor on the Af-weyn road project. WFP is noted for its good work and provision of sorghum assistance in Beledweyne and surrounding villages. IRC is thanked for food aid, African Voices Foundation (AVF) for proactive support during the El Niño storm, and local MCH centers (Kismayo) for excellent maternal services.
Loop is sincerely appreciated for its role as a vital link that connects communities with organisations, amplifies their voices, and ensures their concerns are recorded. This is exemplified by the successful referral and treatment of a sick child.
Despite the thanks, the messages consistently request further support, such as increasing insufficient cash assistance (Xilaac camp), extending projects by several months (Af-weyn road), or expanding coverage to the majority who were left out of registration (Dayanood, Dayax Deyniile).
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The data for Q3 2025 shows a continued resource scarcity, particularly in food and water, compared to the Q2 reporting period.
The overall demand for ⬆️cash assistance saw a significant increase to 39% that is close to what it was in Q1 (28%, Q2; 46%, Q1), and it remains the single largest request, highlighting a persistent crisis of household purchasing power. This is closely followed by a spike in ⬆️food aid requests to 30% (15% Q2; 20%, Q1), suggesting that cash is being immediately converted into food to avert starvation. ⬇️39% of requests were for general assistance where people don’t specify the assistance they need (52%, Q2; 60%, Q1).
The most profound shift is the massive concentration of feedback focused on ⬆️water scarcity and drought, which soared to 17% (4%, Q2; 6%, Q1). This confirms the severe impact of climate shocks on livelihoods, with communities in areas like the Dhusamareb outskirts reporting the total loss of all livestock.
Requests for ⬇️health services dropped to 6% (10%, Q2; 4%, Q1), yet the feedback generally reflects the inability of vulnerable caregivers to afford basic medical care. Additional needs for ⬆️ shelter at 4% (3%, Q2) and ⬇️ education at 1% (1.5%, Q2) remained stable but point to foundational failures in safety and development. ⬆️ 17% (10%, Q2) of people explicitly cited climate shocks (droughts and floods) as the main factor contributing to their current circumstances. Aid effectiveness comprised 3.5% of total feedback and we will discuss it in a section below.
1% mentioned clan conflict to describe their current circumstances or reasons for their displacement. 4% mentioned being displaced largely due to climate shocks affecting their access to food and water, and to loss of livelihoods.
In Q3, Loop launched a new thematic area for analysis called “Aid effectiveness” where we capture the community’s perception on different aspects of Aid delivery. The sub-themes are built using and expanding on the metrics of Accountability to Affected Populations of the CHS Alliance. Loop’s list includes:
By the end of Q3, we recorded 3% of community feedback (or 42 pieces) where people reported concerns (and some successes) of Aid effectiveness. Generally, the data reveals issues related to the logistics and equity of support, with three critical themes—Inclusiveness of Aid (15), Accessibility of Aid (11), and Timeliness of Aid (10)—now representing the overwhelming majority of community concerns. These top three themes signal that systemic challenges in equitable selection, physical reach, and prompt delivery are the primary barriers impacting the community’s perceptions of trust and ability to receive crucial support.
Inclusiveness of Aid remains the single largest area of concern pointing to significant problems with eligibility criteria and equitable selection processes, often resulting in key segments of the community feeling unfairly excluded.
Communities’ feedback on issues relating to Accessibility of Aid, indicate that significant geographical and logistical barriers, such as the complete absence of organisations in remote areas or the extreme distance to distribution points, are preventing vulnerable populations from reaching or being reached by aid. Closely following this is the concern regarding the Timeliness of Aid, which captures the frustration of beneficiaries who have met requirements but face prolonged waiting periods between the initial promise or notification of aid and the physical distribution. if at all.
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A significant cluster of mid-tier concerns received between four and five thematic tags each, highlighting the need for broader operational improvements across the program. Participation and Representation Processes (5) is the highest in this group, suggesting community voices are not adequately integrated into program planning and decision-making. Crucially, five other themes received 4 tags each: communication, awareness-raising, and material, fairness of Aid distribution, quantity of Aid, relevance of Aid, and safety of Aid distribution. This mid-tier group collectively accounts for 25 thematic tags, pointing to a critical need for improvements in how information is shared, aid is distributed, and services are executed.
The consistent volume of tags for the communication theme specifically underscores that even if programs are well-designed, a lack of clear, proactive information sharing hinders community participation and leads to mistrust.
Finally, the lowest volume concerns remain critically important indicators of system failure. Three complaints cited disruption/ suspension of Aid, which represents an abrupt and high-impact consequence for recipients who had begun receiving support. Similarly, two tags each addressed the quality of Aid and the existence or awareness of CFM Processes.
Cash assistance
Cash assistance requests (39%) represented a large category of need, originating from a wide variety of locations, including critical IDP corridors and remote, climate-impacted regions, for example: Mogadishu’s Kahda and Daynile IDP Corridors, the drought-stricken Sanaag Region, and rural villages in the Middle Shabelle Region dealing with destructive flooding. People requested this financial support primarily to meet the most essential immediate needs: to buy food, resolve urgent, sometimes multi-month rent debt to avoid eviction, and cover basic utilities and necessary medical costs. In both IDP camps and rural regions, this financial support was critical for immediate survival, often driven by the total collapse of livelihoods (farming/livestock) caused by drought and flooding. The most vulnerable, particularly female-headed households and those with disabilities, were identified as being entirely reliant on this assistance due to a lack of any stable income.
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The feedback concerning Education accounts for 1% of the total community feedback. The feedback on education highlights the widespread economic crisis that is directly blocking children from learning, thus having long term impacts on the country's ability to build and develop and reducing families opportunities to be self-sustaining.
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Requests originated from diverse regions, including the Lower and Middle Shabelle and Mudug. The primary barrier to schooling is financial, driven by the broader 39% crisis in cash needs recorded on our platform: families cannot afford fees, and with unpaid fees crippling them and not being able to raise other associated costs for uniforms, books etc.
This burden falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable demographics—orphans, displaced families, and single mothers—who are forced to pull children out of school to survive after drought and conflict have destroyed their primary livelihoods. The lack of nearby, functional schools, especially in rural and newly established IDP areas, remains a significant physical obstacle, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and exclusion for vulnerable youth.
Feedback related to environment and climate shocks accounts for 17% of all community feedback, representing a significant increase from Q2 (10%). The feedback highlights a dual crisis of severe drought and destructive flooding across Somalia and Somaliland.
Where the location is mentioned (55%), the regions hardest-hit with drought are the Sanaag region followed by Galgaduud, Bay, Lower Shabelle and Woqooyi Galbeed, where people report a prolonged drought leading to near-total livestock loss and famine-like conditions.
Where location is mentioned (50%), floods have been reported in Middle Shabelle and Hiran, which has seen severe flooding destroy key staple farms and crops like sesame and sorghum.
These climate events have devastated both pastoral and farming communities, resulting in total livelihood loss and driving requests for food assistance. The direct consequences include severe food shortages and water scarcity, forcing populations into crisis. Furthermore, displacement caused by these destructive floods contributes to the urgent need for shelter/IDP support (4%) in areas like the Mogadishu IDP corridors and Baidoa, where people are struggling to secure basic housing and services.
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The feedback from communities reveals severe and widespread food insecurity, accounting for 30% of all unique assistance requests. These appeals originated from a wide variety of locations, with the crisis heavily concentrated in the Mogadishu/Banadir IDP corridors (Kahda and Daynile), the Lower Shabelle region (Afgooye/Jalalaqsi), and the Sanaag/Sool regions experiencing prolonged drought. Individuals and families in these regions report extreme hunger, often describing having "no food to feed children" and going to sleep hungry, indicating a near-universal struggle for basic calories.
Many displaced persons in IDP and refugee camps face acute food shortages because drought has decimated their livestock and destructive flooding has destroyed staple crops like sesame and sorghum, resulting in a total livelihood loss and forcing them to rely on minimal external support for survival.
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General assistance
39% of requests for assistance were for general assistance. Feedback consists of urgent, general requests for support and assistance. The feedback, where people simply state "I am in need," "I am experiencing many hardships," or "I kindly request your assistance," underscore a foundational crisis where individuals are struggling to meet multiple basic needs simultaneously. This demand is concentrated among families who report having nothing to support their loved ones and are often dependent on the minimal support of neighbours, who sometimes cannot help due to their own poverty.
The overwhelming demographic profile of those seeking this support is defined by extreme vulnerability and complex care burdens. The appeals frequently come from female-headed households, including divorced or abandoned mothers, and mothers caring for up to ten children. Critical cases involve orphans and vulnerable youth, with messages originating from teenagers as young as 15, 16, and 17 years old, and mothers caring for large numbers of orphaned children. Furthermore, numerous appeals cite disability and special needs as the primary barrier to survival, with users ranging from young adults to the elderly living with chronic illness or being bedridden.
These requests are rooted in immediate, life-threatening deprivations. Many report facing severe hunger and having no food, sometimes while caring for newborn babies or multiple small children.
The loss of a stable home is another critical threat, with displaced persons living in IDP camps and refugee camps explicitly stating they are in debt for rent or can no longer afford to pay for their rented rooms. Geographically, these pleas are heavily concentrated in urban displacement corridors like the Kahda district and other low-income villages, highlighting the plight of those who have lost their livelihoods due to external factors like drought and are now entirely reliant on aid that often fails to reach them.
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The feedback related to medical and health needs accounts for 6% of all community feedback, highlighting a critical and diverse health crisis across regions. Urgent needs range from infectious diseases like measles and malaria to chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Requests for support are also concentrated on maternal and child health emergencies and the need for care related to various disabilities.
Feedback on health access was concentrated in regions including Lower Shabelle (Afgooye/Jalalaqsi), the Mogadishu/Banadir IDP corridors, and regions experiencing chronic livelihood loss like Sanaag and Galgaduud.
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A critical issue is the lack of accessibility in rural areas to health centres, forcing the most vulnerable to go without care. Vulnerable groups—including elderly individuals, disabled persons, and malnourished children specifically, suffer a greater impact of not having clinics nearby. This is compounded by protection issues, with extreme cases like pregnant mothers being unable to afford urgent, life-saving medical care. In addition, the prevalence of disability and illness is a major driver of the level of financial hardship requests, as it prevents family members from working and often requires expensive, continuous medication.
Widespread reports confirm ongoing armed conflict and tribal clashes in Sanaag and Kahandhale and Heraale in Galgaduud region, which are actively causing casualties, displacement, and general insecurity. In established IDP settlements, safety is fundamentally compromised: residents report a total lack of security infrastructure, including no fences, doors, or police stations (i.e. in Hadhwaanag, Iidaale 1 IDP camp in Baidoa), leaving them vulnerable to frequent theft and intrusion. Furthermore, community members expressed concerns about potential instability and explicitly mentioned instances of individuals misrepresenting their affiliations with security forces.
These consistent gaps in safety, security and lack of essential services directly precipitate acute protection crises, particularly among vulnerable populations. This feedback highlights that when social contracts, like security or family support, break down, the immediate burden falls upon female-headed households. A vast majority of critical/lifesaving requests come from divorced or widowed mothers who are the sole providers for their children, often living with multiple vulnerabilities, for example: personal illness, pregnancy, or the responsibility of caring for children and/ or disabled or elderly relatives. This crisis is fundamentally economic, as these women are unable to work and thus cannot afford basic shelter, rent, water, or food, placing their entire families in a highly precarious situation that increases their vulnerability to exploitation and destitution.
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The protection needs become significant for IDPs, orphans, and marginalised groups who are already exposed to ongoing conflict and displacement. IDP communities face the intersection of physical insecurity and livelihood dependency, exemplified by reports from IDP camps, of sexual violence against women, who must risk their safety by venturing out to collect firewood. This lack of security is mirrored by land tenure insecurity, with families repeatedly being forced to move. Furthermore, the sheer volume of orphans points to a generational crisis, with some children as young as 15 years old being forced into dangerous labour roles to provide for up to ten younger siblings, completely deprived of education and stability. Substantial feedback on the Loop platform comes from IDPs, PLWDs or their caregivers, female headed households, the elderly, and minority clan members and they consistently report being overlooked in assistance programs, underscoring that without urgent, targeted intervention, the most vulnerable face not only poverty but existential threats to their safety and well-being.
Shelter feedback accounted for 4% of all community feedback. Reports are highly concentrated in the Mogadishu/ Banadir IDP corridors (Kahda and Daynile), the Bay region (Baydhabo), and the Lower Shabelle region (Afgooye).
The primary issue is the inadequacy of housing, particularly reported among IDPs, single mothers, and orphaned children. Many families are living in flimsy makeshift shelters that offer no protection against rain, heat, or insects, while some report sleeping in open spaces entirely exposed to the elements.
Even in established settlements, the quality of provided shelter is failing. Feedback from camps (like Harwanag) highlights that shelters lack proper doors and fencing, and their remote locations are dark at night due to a lack of electricity. This combination leaves highly vulnerable groups, especially women and children, exposed to security risks, theft, and violence.
The feedback confirms that basic immediate items are needed for newly displaced families, particularly those who have fled flood-damaged homes or conflict areas like Luuq.
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The feedback related to WASH is explicitly linked to water scarcity and drought, and accounts for 17% of all community feedback in this quarter. People reported acute water shortages, particularly in the Sanaag region which is experiencing prolonged drought leading to near-total livestock loss, and in the Middle Shabelle region, where destructive flooding has contaminated existing sources and destroyed infrastructure like pumps and latrines.
These climate shocks force households to walk long distances daily for water, and the cost of the available water puts an additional financial burden on families already struggling with poverty and debt. The lack of clean, accessible water is reported to lead to contamination-related illnesses.
Vulnerable groups, including female-headed households with large numbers of orphaned children and the elderly and disabled in IDP camps face extreme hardship, and their limited mobility make the daily quest for water dangerous or impossible, forcing them to rely on unsafe or costly sources.
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Loop tags organisations, including Loop, to respond to feedback on the platform. Out of those tags, ⬇️47% pieces of feedback were replied to in this quarter; a significant decrease from 62% in Q2, but an increase from 21% in Q1 of 2025.
The overall feedback reply rate was higher and more consistent in July and August yet it drastically decreased in September to only 3 replies.
The organisations who were the most engaged with communities on a consistent basis were Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC). The wider pool of responsive organisations included Save the Children, International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Lifeline Gedo (LLG) in August, alongside Gargar Relief and Development Organization (GREDO), Action Against Hunger (ACF), KAALO Aid, Concern Worldwide, and Mandhere Relief and Development Organization (MARDO) in July.
Organisations' replies showed a positive, though slight, increase in confirming available support. The percentage of replies indicating an active project in place to support the community member's request rose from 18% in July to 20% in August to 2 out of 3 in September. Correspondingly, the proportion of organisations reporting no ongoing project in the area decreased noticeably, from 36% in July to 27% in August and 1 out of 3 in September. However, a majority of replies (53% in August, up from 46% in July) failed to specify the status of any relevant project, representing a major gap in clear communication.
When support was confirmed as available, the most common guidance provided included advising community members to contact the organisation via its shortcode for further assistance or to visit the organisation’s local office. Sometimes people contacted Loop because organisations call numbers were not responding or open. This is then reported to that organisation.
Some examples of this:
Between July and September 2025, Loop handled a total of ⬆️ 351 sensitive reports, marking a significant increase from the previous quarter, which recorded 275 cases. This is even more significant considering we received fewer inbound calls to the platform so sensitive feedback is a larger percentage of total calls (3%, up from 2% in Q2). These reports are categorised into four main areas:
The number of cases opened increased steadily over the quarter, with 104 in July, 111 in August, and 136 in September, indicating a clear upward trend in sensitive feedback reporting through Talk to Loop.
During this quarter there was a decrease in the proportion of protecton related reports with ⬇️ 45% of the sensitive feedback received relating to protection concerns, compared to 61% in Q2. In contrast, ⬆️ 47% were service-level complaints and non-sensitive requests, up from 25% in the previous quarter.
This shift highlights a change in the profile of sensitive feedback: in 2024 the majority of sensitive reports were fraud and corruption, in Q4 of 2024 and Q1 of 2025 protection-related issues dominated. In Q3 2025, service-related concerns and general requests now constitute the majority with protection (including GBV, CP and SEA) being a close 2nd.
Of the 351 sensitive reports handled this quarter, ⬇️ 158 were related to protection concerns, representing a decrease from 169 in the previous quarter.
This quarter, ⬆️ 117 GBV reports were received, showing a sharp increase compared to 77 in Q2. In contrast, ⬇️ 18 child protection reports were submitted, a significant decrease from 55 in the previous quarter. Similarly, ⬇️ 18 general protection reports were also recorded, down from 31 in Q2. Reports related to ⬇️ MHPSS (1) declined slightly compared to 4 in Q2, while ⬆️ Housing, Land and Property (3) saw a modest increase from 1. Cases concerning discrimination (1) remained unchanged, and mine action continued to register no cases.
GBV reporting showed a steady upward trend from April through July, reaching 43 cases in July, before dropping sharply to 20 in August. The decline proved temporary, as September rebounded strongly with 53 cases, the highest monthly figure of the quarter. Despite the fluctuation in August, the overall trend indicates a continued increase in GBV reporting.
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This quarter, Loop received and handled ⬇️ 25 sensitive reports (7%) related to aid diversion, fraud, and corruption, representing a slight decrease from 30 cases (11%) in Q2. This continues the downward trend observed since Q1.
Feedback often raised concerns that aid was not being distributed fairly, some reports suggesting that registration or access sometimes required payments, or that assistance was directed towards those with personal or clan connections rather than the most vulnerable. Some complainants also felt that people with special needs or from minority groups were disadvantaged during registration or excluded from support.
Some reports pointed to possible mismanagement of resources, such as inflated project costs, diversion of aid to markets, or the distribution of items not well suited to community needs. In at least one instance, individuals described feeling threatened or intimidated when attempting to raise their concerns, highlighting the difficulties faced by those who speak out.
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A total of 166 service-level complaints and non-sensitive requests were recorded this quarter, representing 47% of all feedback received. Of these, 120 were service level complaints and 46 were non-sensitive requests. This marks a substantial increase compared to 69 in the previous quarter.
While non-sensitive requests may not have met Loop’s criteria for defining sensitive feedback, they were handled through the sensitive feedback system as the individuals specifically requested follow-up calls or presented multiple vulnerabilities requiring additional attention.
This quarter, among all service-level complaints, 45 were linked to a single cash programme targeting pregnant and lactating women in the Gedo region, significantly inflating the overall number of service-level complaints.
Other service-level complaints, consistent with previous quarters, reflected concerns about interruptions in assistance, missing payments, and limited feedback following biometric registration. Other issues raised included challenges with fingerprint recognition or lost beneficiary cards, overcrowded private health facilities with no free alternatives, and concerns about the composition of Village Savings and Loan groups. Several reports also pointed to confusion between registration and final beneficiary lists, and the lack of communication with those not selected. This continues to create misunderstanding and perceptions of unfairness and a lack of trust within communities.
This feedback highlights the need for greater transparency and clearer communication with communities regarding aid processes and eligibility criteria, in order to maintain trust and manage expectations effectively. Any assessments or registrations need to coincide with repetitive, clear and broad communications about criteria, selection processes and how to know if you are not on the final selection list. The potential repercussions are significant for all organisations, including a lack of trust and therefore access.
⬇️No allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) were reported this quarter, despite a community PSEA radio campaign conducted by WHO from 24 to 31 August across Somalia. This contrasts with all previous periods when there have been PSEA radio campaigns promoting numbers including Loop. Each time we have received an increased number of GBV/ IPV and also SEA reports.
Additionally, Loop received ⬇️ 2 sensitive reports alleging other forms of misconduct, including mistreatment and one report of physical assault by organisation staff. This is broadly consistent with previous quarters, with 3 such allegations recorded in both Q1 and Q2, indicating a continuous but limited trend of misconduct-related feedback.
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During this quarter, an overwhelming majority ⬆️ 99% of sensitive reports were submitted by individuals reporting on their own behalf, showing a significant increase from 87% in the previous quarter. Only 1% (5 reports) were submitted by community members, caregivers of survivors, or organisation/ institution personnel. This sharp rise in self-reporting may indicate growing trust and confidence in the platform, as well as improved accessibility for individuals to share their concerns directly, without relying on intermediaries.
This quarter, a significantly larger share of sensitive reports were submitted by women, accounting for ⬆️ 69% compared to ⬇️ 31% submitted by men. This represents a continued increase from Q2, when women accounted for 61% of reports.
Looking at monthly trends from April to September, the number of reports submitted by women grew steadily each month, rising from 37 in April to 87 in September, highlighting a continuous upward trend in reporting by women over the year.
This quarter, ⬆️ 89% of all protection-related feedback was submitted by women and girls, a notable increase from 76% in the previous quarter. For protection-related reporting, we observe a clear upward trend, with women consistently accounting for more than 80% of all protection-sensitive reports since last quarter.
Reports related to corruption, fraud, and service-level complaints were also predominantly submitted by female authors this quarter, with ⬆️ 55% of these reports coming from women and girls compared to only 34% in Q2. This trend is primarily driven by the high number of service-level complaints related to a cash program targeting pregnant and lactating women.
Age
In terms of age, this quarter shows a sharp decrease in sensitive reports concerning children and adolescents (under 18), dropping from ⬇️ 20% in Q2 to just ⬇️ 6% in Q3. Notably, reports from adolescents aged 14 to 17 remained very limited.
Adults aged 18 to 59 dominated submissions this quarter, together making up ⬆️ 62% of all sensitive reports (29% aged 18–29 and 33% aged 30–59). This represents a significant increase compared to Q2, when adults accounted for less than half of the total reports.
Reports concerning older individuals (aged 60+) remained consistently low at ↔️ 3%, highlighting a continued underrepresentation of the elderly in sensitive reporting.
Minority and marginalised communities
This quarter, ⬇️ 28 sensitive reports (8%) were submitted by individuals self-identifying as belonging to minority or marginalised communities, a slight decrease compared to 32 reports in Q2. Most of these individuals identified as members of the Madhiban community or Bantu groups, including Eyle, Jareer, Jareer Rer Shabelle, Shiidle, and Mushunguli. Additionally, one report was received from an individual identifying as part of the Ashraf religious minority. This percentage is high compared to the number of minority or marginalised communities sharing open feedback.
Among the 28 reports submitted by individuals from minority or marginalised communities, half (50%) concerned GBV. The remaining reports mainly related to service-level complaints and aid diversion. A few cases also mentioned exclusion or discrimination, although these issues were not explicitly linked to the authors’ minority status.
Persons living with disabilities
This quarter, ⬇️ 7 sensitive reports (2%) concerned persons living with disabilities (PLWD), showing a sharp decrease compared to the previous quarter (18). The majority of these reports again concerned individuals with physical impairments, while others related to persons with visual disabilities or where the type of disability was not specified.
Among them, one individual reported having faced eviction and facing discrimination when seeking employment, stating: “Whenever I try to find employment, people tell me, ‘You are disabled, we cannot offer you a job.’ This has left me jobless, with no source of income to support my family.” This account illustrates how disability, poverty, and displacement can interact, leaving individuals with severely limited options for livelihoods and housing, and exacerbating their overall vulnerability.
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In terms of geography, sensitive feedback was again received from across nearly all regions of Somalia, confirming the continued broad national coverage of the platform. Out of 358 sensitive reports handled this quarter, 73 submissions (20%) did not include any location information. As in the previous quarter, attempts to verify these locations were often unsuccessful due to authors being unreachable or withdrawing their feedback.
Among reports with identified locations, the ↔️ Banadir region remained by far the largest source of sensitive feedback, accounting for 112 reports (31%). As in previous quarters, most of these originated from Kahda and Daynille districts and were primarily linked to GBV. This was followed by Gedo (71 reports, 20%) and Galgaduud (30 reports, 8%).
The most significant shift this quarter occurred in ⬆️ Gedo, which registered a sharp increase to 71 sensitive reports (20%) compared to just 11 in Q2. This surge occurred mainly in August and September, driven by a high volume of complaints related to a single cash assistance program targeting pregnant and lactating women, for which the implementing organisation actively promoted Loop.
Galgaduud, as in the previous quarter, also remained an important source of feedback with 30 reports (8%), while Bay (11), Middle Shabelle (11), and Lower Juba (7) generated notable numbers. Other regions such as Bari, Lower Shabelle, Sanaag, and Woqooyi Galbeed each contributed a small but steady flow of reports.
While report volumes varied, it is noteworthy that sensitive feedback was received from every region, with the exception of Middle Juba, where there is currently no humanitarian presence. This demonstrates the platform’s ability to reach people even in underserved and hard-to-access areas.
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Of the 351 cases opened this quarter, 238 were closed, while 113 cases remain open and are currently under follow-up.
Among the closed cases, 58% (137) cases were closed successfully. with follow-up actions such as signposting or referral to appropriate services, completed to the satisfaction of the author or based on agreed outcomes. The rate of successful case closures has notably increased, largely due to improved signposting for individuals who do not require or do not consent to further referral.
The remaining 42% (101) were closed unsuccessfully for various reasons, including cases where authors could not be reached, no actionable solution was possible, or the report was withdrawn. Withdrawals often occurred when individuals were testing the number or when initial concerns were later clarified as general requests rather than protection-related issues. In cases where no actionable solution was possible, this was primarily due to survivors declining referral to protection services or, in some instances, Loop discontinuing contact based on risk assessments, when continued contact was deemed to pose a risk to the author.
In addition, Loop also closed 119 cases opened during the previous quarter. Among the closed cases, 50% (59) cases were closed successfully, while the remaining 50% (60) were closed unsuccessfully due to authors being unreachable, cases being withdrawn, survivors declining referral, or other constraints that prevented a resolution.
Referrals and Organisation responsiveness
A total of ⬆️ 114 sensitive reports were referred during this reporting period. Of these, ⬆️ 86 referrals were made for assistance in protection-related cases, including 21 for immediate assistance, while ⬇️ 28 were referred to address allegations related to corruption, fraud, and service-level complaints.
A total of 45 reports this month were related to a single cash programme in Gedo, significantly inflating the overall number of service-level complaints. Most of these reports concerned requests for information about registration, questions regarding delays in disbursement, and requests for confirmation of registration status. Rather than referring all cases, it was agreed with the concerned organisation that Loop would provide signposting to the relevant hotline and offer approved direct information to complainants to address the cash programme complaints/ queries.
During this reporting period, ⬆️ 91% of all referrals received an acknowledgment from the relevant organisation, reflecting an improvement from the previous quarter (88%). This includes a ⬆️94% acknowledgment rate for protection-related referrals and ↔️ 82% for referrals related to allegations.
This is an increased response rate to sensitive referrals compared to the previous quarter. This improvement is driven by stronger engagement in clusters and working groups, increased coordination with protection organisations, and the training and onboarding of more organisations who are actively integrating Talk to Loop into their programmes and communications strategies. These efforts have significantly enhanced the awareness of Loop, as well as a greater understanding of referral processes. This has directly translated to significantly higher response rates by the organisations which are actively engaged.
While this marks a positive trend, acknowledgment of allegation-related referrals often requires multiple follow-ups from Loop staff to the accused organisation. In several instances, responses remain pending, despite reminders being sent to the receiving organisations. Similarly, for protection-related referrals, although acknowledgments are generally timely, gathering confirmation on whether services were provided takes longer, suggesting the need for improved responsiveness from receiving organisations.
Referrals were directed to a range of organisations, including international and national NGOs, UN agencies, and government entities.
Of the 86 protection referrals made this quarter, 67 survivors have already received services including case management, psychosocial support, counselling, medical assistance, as well as some economic and in-kind support.
In 11 cases, services were not ultimately provided, either because the cases fell outside the geographic coverage of the receiving organisations, survivors could not be reached, or they declined or disengaged from follow-up. When referrals were declined due to limited geographic coverage, the cases were redirected to other service providers operating in the relevant areas. In a few instances, survivors reported that they had not been contacted by the organisation or had not received the expected assistance. In such cases, new referrals were made to alternative partners. For those who no longer consented to referrals due to changing needs, hotline numbers were shared to enable them to seek assistance independently in the future.
The remaining 8 referrals are still pending updates from the organisations regarding the services provided to the survivors, though organisations were generally responsive.
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Case Studies: Organisational Learning Through Feedback
Loop plays a key role in enabling organisations to learn and improve programming by providing a channel for community feedback. The following cases illustrate how complaints received through Loop led to investigations, community consultations, and actionable lessons for programme improvement.
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Raagsan is leading a project funded by Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) in the Kismayo region to increase engagement among Mushunguli/ Kizigua speakers through partnerships with minority-led organisations, including Minority Rights Group (MRG) and Marginalized Communities Advocacy Network (MCAN).
As part of broader efforts to strengthen community accountability, participation, and feedback mechanisms, Talk to Loop, in collaboration with BRCiS and GAASHAAN partners, conducted joint community engagement sessions in Kismayo (Bula Gadud, Yoontoy, New Qam Qam, Njooni, Eeel Jaalle, and Qandhal) and in Baidoa (Salamey, Idaale 1, Wadajir, Kormari 1, and Banbusul). The sessions were jointly facilitated by Save the Children, CARE, and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and implemented by partners Juba Foundation, Somali Women Studies’ Centre (SWSC), Gargar Relief Development Organization (GREDO) and Talk to Loop.
The activities focused on raising awareness and encouraging active community participation, while emphasising communities’ rights to aid, the importance of feedback in improving project delivery, and the use of Loop’s Voice channel as an independent feedback tool to ensure: accountability; transparency; and trust with all groups, including marginalised communities who speak different languages. This coordinated approach ensured smooth implementation, complementarity with ongoing community activities, and effective participation in project-decision making of both IDP and host community members.
Talk to Loop has partnered with several local minority-led organisations (MROs), and international NGOs to expand its reach and strengthen collaboration. Under the Grand Challenges Canada project in Kismayo, Talk to Loop onboarded six minority-led organisations onto the Loop platform. These organisations include Marginalized Communities Advocacy Network (MCAN), Initiatives for Development and Aid Advocacy (IDAA), Save Vulnerable Mother and Children (SVMC), Somali Minority Development Organisation (SOMDO), Juba Valley Development Centre (JVDC) and Nilotic Right Organisation (NRO). Discussions are also ongoing with several other local and national organisations to join the platform.
In addition, Talk to Loop has partnered with several other local organisations that operate in other parts of Somalia, particularly in Puntland and South West regions, such as Urban-Rural Development Unit for Neutrality (URDUN) and Somali Minority Women and Children Development Organisation (SMWCDO). There are also ongoing discussions with several international NGOs to establish new partnerships and further expand the platform’s collaboration and reach.
We are also onboarding a number of Ministries to integrate Loop into their World Bank funded projects going forward.
For more information, you can contact us at hello@talktoloop.org
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