A historic drought in northern Somalia decimated almost half of Iido Abdikarin Abdille’s herd, but a livestock insurance program is providing relief to pastoralists like her.
Abdille, a 34-year-old woman from Somalia’s Puntland state, has been caring for her unwell mother and two children since her father’s passing in 2010. The recent drought, described as the worst in four decades, devastated millions across East Africa, leaving pastoralists particularly vulnerable to economic hardship.
” We rely on livestock and if the animal becomes weak as happens during the droughts… you cannot even milk the animal because it has nothing to feed on,” Abdille recounted, reflecting on the loss of dozens of goats since 2020.
To address this crisis, the World Bank-backed Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) program was introduced, offering payouts to herders when they lose animals to climate disasters. Participants contribute proportionately to the size of their herds in exchange for compensation.
Abdille is among the 40,000 Somalis who enrolled in the scheme since August 2022, receiving a $50 payout, which she views as vital for sustaining their lives and preserving their livestock during droughts.
“This is the first time a program like this, which benefits Somali pastoralists, has been implemented in the country,” said Muusa Ali Mahamad, communications director at Salaam Somali Bank, a project supporter.
For Abdifatah Jama Hassan, another pastoralist in Puntland, failed rainy seasons have forced many Somalis to migrate to urban areas in search of work. Initially skeptical, Hassan now sees the value of the insurance scheme in mitigating the impact of droughts.
“This is a completely new thing to Somali pastoralists, but we can already feel the benefits we get in return outweigh the small amount of money we pay for the policy,” Hassan noted.
In Dolow, a district hit by floods after years of drought, pastoralists expressed hope that insurance access would safeguard their livelihoods and preserve their traditional way of life.
“I believe this initiative will encourage people not to quit keeping animals (because) even in the worst drought there will still be a way to save the animals,” said Abdirizak Hussein Mohamed, 39.
