‍ Somalia & Somaliland August 2025 Snapshot Report

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To download the full report click here.

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To download a short presentation with key finding of the report click here.

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Talk to Loop, thanks to its partnership with RAAGSAN, is available in Somalia/Somaliland via a voice channel at toll-free number 2023 and supports feedback in Maay, Maxatiri, Benadiri Merka, Bujuuni, Barawani Chimini and Kizigua-Mushunguli. To learn more, visit our website and our platform and statistics page.

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_{We added Kizigua-Mushungulilanguage to our Voice channel as part of our language strategy in Somalia and to expand Loop’s service to communities in Kismayo in partnership with MCAN, Raagsan and MRG under a joint project funded by Grand Challenges Canada.}

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In August 2025, Loop processed and published ⬆️ 480 pieces of open feedback; an increase from July (424). All feedback was received via the Voice channel. 

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Language use:

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The majority of feedback was recorded in⬇️Maxatiri (86%) then ⬇️Maay (14%) and 1 in Kizigua-Mushunguli. 

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_{It is possible that people recorded feedback in other dialects/languages yet was not published as open feedback for breaching community guidelines, being inaudible or being referred for sensitive feedback.}

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‍Demographic information:

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⬇️31% of users in the reporting period are Female. (43% in July)

⬆️6% of feedback was shared by Children and Adolescents (14-17) (3% in July)

⬇️2% was shared by Elderly (60+). (3% in July)

⬆️Feedback from people living with disabilities (PLWD) accounted for 3.5% (1% in July):

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⬇️0.2% of feedback came from people who are carers for PLWD (0.7% in July) 

If you work for an organisation focusing on communities and people living with a disability in Somalia, please contact us so we can work together to raise their voices more consistently.

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↔️1 person identified as belonging to minority communities in Kismayo (1 in July) used Loop and in Kizigua-Mushunguli.

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Feedback came from different regions across all of Somalia and Somaliland, with a majority coming from Galguduud, Banadir, Lower and Middle Shabelle, Bay and Sanaag. 

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However, in ⬇️58% of feedback, people opted not to mention their locations (60% in July). 

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‍Types of Feedback:

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⬇️Requests for Assistance (78%) continue to dominate community feedback (94% in July). Other feedback types are:

⬆️requests for information (7%) (3% in July) with the majority being about Loop’s services

⬆️thanks (8%) (5% in July)

⬆️suggestions/opinions (4%) (0.2% in July), and 

⬆️concerns (3%) (2% in July).

 _{Some pieces of feedback are tagged with 2 or more types of feedback.} 

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Requests for assistance:

Request for information:

Concerns:

_{In Q2, Loop’s team revised the platform’s thematic areas to align them with the IASC Standards for Collective Feedback Mechanisms. The revision is now complete and the update to the platform is in the final stages. Please visit our platform and use the filters to learn more. The new thematics will be reflected in the upcoming reporting periods.}

_{‍ This piece of feedback has been tagged with a new sub-thematic tag, "participation and representation processes" under the broader theme of "Community feedback on Aid effectiveness." This addition marks an important update to the three main domains that Loop reports on: Community feedback, Aid sector’s responsiveness and Aid sector’s effectiveness.}

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‍‍‍Thanks:

In August, Loop received 14 pieces of feedback from communities thanking NRC for their support in areas such as housing and shelter, cash and livelihoods assistance and WASH. NRC’s awareness raising activities were successful in encouraging communities to actively use Loop to engage with NRC; not only to convey their thanks but also to propose improvements and projects that could benefit them and their community. 

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What did community members talk about?

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• ⬆️ 41% of communities mentioned financial assistance and livelihood issues. Most respondents cited a lack of jobs, debt problems, or a need for cash assistance to buy food. The feedback came from various locations, including Mogadishu, Baydhabo, Hiran, Sanaag, and Galmudug.
• ⬇️ 41% of communities cited aid access issues. Many community members reported that "no organisations operate in our area" or that they had been registered for aid but had not yet received it. The feedback came from diverse regions, including Baydhabo, Hiran, and Garowe.
• ⬆️ 17% reported health-related issues. Feedback often mentioned a lack of medicine, chronic illnesses, and a need for improved health services. Feedback was concentrated in locations such as Hiraan and Puntland.
• ⬆️ 14% discussed the impacts of drought and water shortages. Community members, particularly farmers and pastoralists, reported dry wells, crop failures, and livestock loss. Community members consistently highlighted a critical need for safe and reliable water sources. They reported that even with a well, the water was often unclean and caused health problems, especially for children. People living in new settlements also struggled with the long distance to water points, making it difficult to transport water. Furthermore, many farmers and pastoralists pointed out that drought was causing dry wells and crop failure, impacting their livelihoods. As a result, requests for assistance included providing water filters, water pumps, and extending water pipes to individual homes. These issues were highlighted in Cadaado, Hiraan, and Towfiq. 
• ⬆️ 14% of feedback highlighted shelter concerns. People requested assistance for rent, or noted uninhabitable conditions in camps, citing a lack of electricity and clean water. These reports came from Hiran and Puntland.
• ⬆️ 10% of feedback referenced education and youth-related needs. This feedback included requests for vocational training, education assistance, and assistance with school fees, with reports from Guricel and other unspecified locations.

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What did community members request?

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• ⬆️31% Water & Drought Assistance. Communities primarily requested clean, safe drinking water, water filters, water pumps, and assistance to cope with the effects of drought, which impacted crops and livestock. The high demand for water and drought-related assistance reflects the ongoing below-average Gu rains and widespread water shortages. These requests were concentrated in Cadaado, Hiraan, and Towfiq.
• ⬆️23% Financial Assistance & Livelihoods. Requests were mainly for cash assistance to cover daily needs and debt, as well as for job opportunities and vocational training. This is closely tied to market disruptions, inflation and displacement. Reports came from locations including Baydhabo, Sanaag, Hiraan, and Cadaado.
• ⬆️15% Shelter & Infrastructure. Requests included financial support for rent and essential infrastructure like fences, electricity (solar panels), and water pipes for their homes. These reports were concentrated in Cadaado, Hiraan, and Galguduud.
• ↔️12% Access to Aid. Requests were for organisations to expand their support to uncovered areas or to resume paused programs. Reports came from locations including Baydhabo, Hiraan, and Cadaado.
• ⬆️12% Education. The feedback highlighted a need for the completion of school buildings, vocational training for youth, and financial support for school fees. These requests were from Cadaado, Af-weyn, and Guricel.
• ⬇️8% Health-related Issues. The most common requests were for access to medicine and medical assistance for chronic illnesses. These reports came from locations such as Hiraan and Cadaado.
• ⬇️5% Food Assistance. People still requested urgent food aid for their families and children. This feedback came from various locations, including Hiran and Towfiq.

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⬇️47% (48% in July) of feedback has been replied to by organisations including Loop. 

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On organisations’ replies, we have found that:

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• The highest number of replies was received from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), followed by Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC), Save the Children, International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Lifeline Gedo (LLG).
• ⬇️27% (36% in July) responded that they do not currently have an ongoing project in the mentioned area. 
• ⬆️20% (18% in July) of the replies indicated that the organisation had an active project in place to support the community member’s request. The remaining 53% did not specify the status of any relevant project. 

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Among the organisations that confirmed available support, common guidance included advising community members to contact the organisation via its shortcode for further assistance, followed by others not giving any guidance and others advised the authors to visit their office.

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In addition to NRC being responsive to community feedback, the awareness raising campaigns done by them are an excellent example of the value Loop’s platform brings to communities and organisations when working in partnership with implementing organisations. NRC was addressed by communities in around 20 pieces of feedback to Loop, with clear requests and suggestions. This demonstrates that communities will use tools available to them if they have information on when and how to use them. This additional feedback channel, providing direct feedback, allows NRC to continue to improve its programmes, address community needs more effectively, and ensure that aid is both relevant and impactful. This is a clear example for others who might want to use Loop to establish or expand their meaningful, ongoing and two-way communication with communities.

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Sensitive Reports

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Loop handled ⬆️ 111 sensitive reports this month, a number that remained nearly the same as in July, with only a slight increase from 104. 

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What type of sensitive reports were submitted?

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This month was marked by a significant decrease in protection-related feedback, dropping from 55 reports (53% of all sensitive reports) in July to 32 reports (29%) in August. In contrast, service-level complaints became the main category, increasing from 22 reports in July (22% of all sensitive reports) to 57 reports (51%) in August.

This shift reflects a return to the trend observed in 2024 prior to the sustained increase in protection concerns during the second quarter, with service-level complaints once again surpassing protection-related issues.

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⬇️ 32 sensitive reports (29%) were related to Protection (including Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, General Protection, MHPSS, and HLP). This represents an important decrease compared to 55 reports in July and 73 in June, with service-level complaints now surpassing protection as the most reported category.

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Despite a significant decrease from 43 reports in July to ⬇️ 20 in August, GBV remains the most reported type of protection feedback, representing 18% of all sensitive reports and 63% of all protection reports.

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⬇️ 8 sensitive reports (7%) concerned fraud and corruption (including aid diversion), representing a slight decrease compared to the 11 reports received in July.

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⬆️ 71 service-level concerns (64%) were received, comprising 57 service-level complaints (51%) and 14 non-sensitive requests (13%). This is a significant increase from last month’s 37 reports, which included 22 complaints and 15 requests. 

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↔️ No reports related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) and ⬇️ no feedback related to other types of misconduct were received this month, despite the PSEA radio campaign conducted by WHO from 24 to 31 August across Somalia. Loop will continue to monitor for any potential SEA cases that may arise from community members reached by the campaign. 

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Who is reporting sensitive reports?

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⬆️ 99% of reports were submitted by individuals on their own behalf, while only ⬇️ 1% were submitted by authors reporting on behalf of someone else. This represents an increase compared to 90% in June and 98% in July. The change is mainly explained by a notable decrease in reports concerning children and adolescents submitted by caregivers or relatives, as well as a general decline in child protection reports.

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Sensitive reports submitted by females continued to dominate this month, accounting for ⬆️ 73% of all sensitive reports, with a total of 81 reports submitted by women and girls. In comparison, 27% of reports were submitted by men and boys, totaling 30 reports. The proportion of female reports shows a slight increase compared to last month (71% vs 29%), with the absolute number of reports by females also rising from 74 in July to 81 in August. 

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This month, ⬇️ 81% of all protection-related reports were submitted by women and girls, a notable decrease from 95% in July, reflecting the corresponding decrease in GBV reports.

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Reports related to corruption, fraud, and service-level complaints were also predominantly submitted by female authors this month, with ⬆️ 77% of these reports coming from female authors, a considerable increase from 35% in July. This month’s trend is primarily driven by the high number of service-level complaints related to a cash program targeting pregnant and lactating women (36 reports received by female complainants in August) and should be considered context-specific rather than indicative of a sustained pattern.

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In terms of age, this month continues to show a sharp decrease in sensitive reports concerning children and adolescents, dropping from 20% in June to 9% in July and further down to just ⬇️ 5% in August. Notably, there were almost no sensitive reports from adolescents aged 14 to 17, both boys and girls.

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Similar to the previous month, reports related to older individuals (aged 60+) remained consistently low at ↔️ 2%, highlighting a persistent  underrepresentation of the elderly in sensitive reporting. 

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Adults aged 18 to 59 continued, as the previous month (68%) to dominate the submissions, accounting for ⬇️ 66% of sensitive reports in August. Within this group, the distribution was fairly balanced, with younger adults (18–29) making up 34% and those aged 30–59 accounting for 32%.

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Are members of linguistic and ethnic minority and marginalized communities submitting reports?

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⬇️ 2 authors self-identified as belonging to the Madhiban community were among authors of sensitive reports this month, both reporting service-level complaints related to cash assistance.  

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No reports from the Bantu ethnic minority communities were received this month, marking a notable difference compared to last month when several submissions were made.

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Are people living with disabilities submitting reports?

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Reports submitted by persons with disabilities remain consistently low, dropping from 6 reports in June to ↔️ 2 in July, and remaining at the same level with 2 reports in August. This continued low reporting highlights the persistent underrepresentation of persons with disabilities in sensitive feedback.

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Which regions did sensitive reports come from?

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This month, sensitive reports were received from ⬇️ 9 regions in Somalia and Somaliland, showing a significant decrease compared to last month, when sensitive feedback was submitted from 14 regions.

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• This month, Gedo was the highest reporting region for sensitive feedback with ⬆️ 45 reports, accounting for nearly 40% of the total. Of the 45 reports from Gedo, 36 were related to a single cash program, which generated a large number of complaints submitted to the platform.

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• Banadir was the second-highest reporting region this month, with ⬇️ 16 reports (14%), showing a significant decrease compared to last month, when 40 reports were received from the region. This decrease corresponds with the overall drop in GBV reports this month. Of the 16 reports received from Banaadir, at least 11 were related to GBV. Despite this reduction, the data indicate that GBV continues to be reported from Mogadishu.

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• A notable increase of sensitive reports was observed in Galguduud this month, with 11 reports (10%) compared to just 4 last month.

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• No sensitive reports were received from the following regions this month: Awdal, Bakool, Bari, Hiran, Mudug, Lower Juba, Middle Juba, Sool and Wooqooyi Galbeed, despite most of these regions being represented in the previous month. Awdal, Bakool and Middle Juba, in particular, continue to show consistently low levels of sensitive reporting over time.

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What is the current status of the sensitive reports?

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A total of 111 new cases were opened during August. Of these, 54 cases were closed within the same month, while 59 cases remain open and are currently under follow-up.

In addition, 64 cases opened in previous reporting periods were closed in August, bringing the total number of cases closed during the month to 118.

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Of the total number of 118 cases closed in August:

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• 65% were successfully resolved, 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 35% were closed due to the authors being unreachable, no actionable solution being possible, or the report being 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.

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How many referrals were made this month?

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⬇️ 24 sensitive reports were referred this month, with ⬇️ 17 referrals for assistance, including 1 referral for immediate assistance, and ↔️ 7 related to corruption, fraud, and service-level complaints. This represents a decrease compared to last month, when 34 reports were referred, highlighting a downward trend in referrals overall. This decrease is mainly linked to fewer protection and GBV reports this month, with most protection reports submitted only in the last week of August. In addition, Loop has also provided signposting to a hotline and offered a direct response to address the cash program complaint that generated 36 reports this month, as agreed upon with the concerned organisation.

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↔️  92% of all referrals submitted this month were acknowledged, a rate almost identical to last month’s 91%. This includes ⬇️ 88% of assistance-related referrals (15 out of 17) and ⬆️ 100% of allegation-related referrals (7 out of 7). While the overall response rate remains relatively strong, several responses are still pending despite follow-up reminders sent to the receiving organisations. In the case of protection-related referrals, acknowledgements are generally timely; however, confirmation on whether services were provided often takes longer. This highlights the need for improved responsiveness and follow-through from partner agencies.

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Of the 17 protection referrals made this month, 12 survivors have received services. One referral was declined as the organisation was not operational in the survivor’s geographical area; a new referral has since been initiated. The remaining five referrals are still pending updates from the organisations regarding the services provided  to the survivors.

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The only referral for immediate assistance this month, related to a child rape case, which was submitted within 24 hours, and the survivor received the required support from the receiving organisation in less than 48 hours, demonstrating effective coordination and prioritisation of urgent needs.

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Which types of organisations received referrals, and how responsive were they?

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• National NGOs: 8 referrals – ⬇️ 75% response rate (6 acknowledged). Similar to last month, NNGOs demonstrated some commitment, though acknowledgment rates remain limited.
• International NGOs:  13 referrals – ↔️ 100% response rate (13 acknowledged). INGOs maintained a strong performance, with acknowledgment rates improving compared to previous months.
• International actors/UN: 2 referrals -⬆️ 100% response rate (2 acknowledged)
• Government Entities: ↔️No referrals were made to governmental actors this month.

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What are the key trends in sensitive feedback this month? 

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GBV and PSEA reporting trends: GBV reporting continued to decrease in August, following the downward trend already observed in July compared to Q2, but still representing a significant drop compared to July. 

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It is worth noting that reporting increased starting on 24 August, coinciding with the PSEA radio broadcast conducted from the 24 to 31st August by WHO as part of their commitment to enhancing community awareness on PSEA in Somalia. Indeed, almost half of the GBV reports for August were received during the last week of the month. 

Despite the radio campaign, no SEA reports have been received by Loop so far. However, in Q2 three SEA reports were submitted in the two weeks following the campaign, suggesting it may be too early to conclude that the recent campaign will not generate reporting. Loop will therefore continue to closely monitor for any SEA cases that may be raised by community members reached through the campaign.

High volume of reports linked to a single cash programme in Gedo: A total of 36 reports this month were related to one cash programme in Gedo, significantly inflating the overall number of sensitive reports. Most of these complaints were requests for information on registration, questioning delays in disbursement, and seeking confirmation of their registration status. This confusion arose because another organisation had registered beneficiaries for a separate cash assistance programme in the same area. 

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Loop discussed the spike with the concerned organisation and it was agreed that Loop would provide direct information to complainants, while the organisation would also update in parallel the community on the status of the process and expected disbursement dates. Loop additionally shared the hotline of the concerned organisation to ensure complainants could reach them directly for further questions. This joint approach illustrates strong collaboration between Loop and the organisation to effectively respond to a peak in complaints, provide clarity to affected communities, and manage expectations. 

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We continue to receive feedback and engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but due to limited funding will report on this data on a quarterly basis.