In collaboration with IOM
Homegrown, Sustainable and Scalable Shelter Solutions in Somalia
YAC and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, launch a collaborative program to design “low-cost housing solutions” for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Somalia through a collaboration between YAC students, university students from Somalia, and Somali experts and Diaspora.
Out of the 5.98 million people in need in Somalia, 4.1 million require critical shelter assistance, as highlighted in the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP). Natural hazards such as droughts, flash floods, and riverine floods, combined with prolonged political instability and armed conflict continue to drive forced displacements in the country, as households struggle to access basic services. As reported in the HNRP, 77% of the displaced populations live in makeshift buul shelters due to challenges in securing land tenure, and families live without adequate space, privacy, and protection.
Somalia is one of the fastest urbanizing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2025, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) estimates that the majority of Somalis will live in urban areas, and this is the result of a sustained rural to urban influx driven by internal displacement. With most displaced Somalis intending to remain in cities, housing solutions become a pressing need.
Over the years, humanitarian agencies have implemented several shelter solutions in the country, ranging from emergency, transitional and permanent shelters. And although there are several shelter/housing units that exist, there is a need to focus on innovative, practical, scalable, homegrown, and locally-driven solutions that considers the context of Somalia in regard to difficulties in securing land tenure, the changing climatic conditions, community preferences, locally available building materials, and technical expertise of the local engineers with alignments with the government agendas, the budget, and so on. A new perspective is hence required to think beyond the conventional ideas, and to create shelter solutions connecting global expertise and the local knowledge on the ground.
Objectives of the collaboration
- Generate practical shelter solutions that will improve living conditions for the displaced populations, incorporating low-cost (under USD 2,000), scalable designs adaptable to the different site settings. The shelter/housing solutions will consider standards that fit the aspirations of displaced persons to achieve a dignified living in the locations where they want to rebuild their lives.
- The collaboration between YAC, university students from Somalia, the Somali experts and Diaspora strives to combine research, creativity, local and international design expertise, and enable diaspora engagement for knowledge transfer to help bring innovative, homegrown and globally informed solutions to the local challenges.
- Leverage homegrown talents through academia, civil institutions and think tanks to increase the stock of shelters and low-cost housing, contributing to the national transformation process led by the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing (MoPWRH) of the Federal Government of Somalia.
Who are we looking for?
This Call for Expression of Interest aims to identify interested university students from Somalia, and Somali diaspora professionals or students to join the collaboration.
We are seeking candidates whose participation will facilitate knowledge transfer and strengthen the homegrown approach by combining local and global expertise.
The following qualifications are required to participate:
- Somali origin
- Students enrolled in a University in Somalia, in fields like engineering and architecture
- Somali diaspora professionals or students in fields like architecture, engineering, and construction, urban planning, housing finance, or related disciplines
- Proficiency in the English and Somali language
* If you’re interested in contributing local knowledge and expertise without joining the working group as a participant, you’re welcome to write to us. Please share your CV, expertise, and the area where you can provide support. We look forward to your contribution.
How to apply?
Interested candidates should submit:
- Their portfolio in PDF format (max 12 MB)
- Their CV in PDF format (max 5 MB)
- A copy of a valid identity document (jpg or pdf, max 2 MB)
How will candidates be selected?
Candidates will be selected directly by IOM and YAC based on the submitted documents and will be contacted personally during the week following the application deadline.
How will the work proceed?
The research will be held in “Working Groups” comprising of YAC students, university students from Somalia, and Somali diaspora professionals or students. Each working group will be mentored by renowned architects specializing in humanitarian, social and contemporary architecture.
While specific details will be defined during the project, the key parameters and timeline of the initiative are as follows:
- The selected candidates will be divided into 3 teams (Working groups), each coordinated by a different design firm (who will act as the mentor) and IOM
- Each team will develop at least three shelter solutions under the supervision of the mentor
- An advisory panel comprising of a diverse group of professionals working in the context of Somalia (such as representatives from the government and Somali professionals and university lecturers) will provide guidance through inception meeting, mid-review and final review
- IOM will provide all necessary technical and informational materials to each team at the start of the project
- Meetings with the team leaders will be held bi-weekly, online, and in English between March 24 and May 09
- The projects must be completed by mid-May 2025
- At the end of the project timeline, a group of experts will be invited to attend the final presentations and select the three best shelter proposals. IOM will explore the possibilities of building the selected designs as prototypes in Somalia
- At the end of the program, a collaboration award will be granted to active participants at the discretion of the organizers
- The winners will also have the possibility to participate in policy dialogues led by the Ministry of Public Works in relation to the priorities set forth in the Somalia National Transformation Plan regarding building 20,000 shelters and 2,000 housing units by 2029, and in relation to the National Housing Policy Process.
Need more information?
Partners
IOM and YAC thanks the support of all who have shared their expertise and valuable time in joining efforts for this collaboration.
If you need information about the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, and their current policy initiatives please contact: info@mpwr.gov.so