The comprehensive census provides settlement-level information on various dimensions of human poverty, covering nomadic, rural and urban communities. It provides an insight on the sources of livelihoods, locations of settlements, characteristics, forms of governance, development constraints, social capital, awareness of the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance, and access to information technology among other indicators.  Most importantly, the community census underscores that most areas in Somalia are hungry for access to heath facilities, educational facilities, television, telephones and even a normal, sustainable form of livelihood. Somalis would like to be better equipped to be able to lead relatively normal lives.   

Data on vulnerability in settlements states how Somalis survive in areas prone to floods and drought. Human rights indicators capture progress being made in the provision of justice as well as administrations’ transparency.  More than 10,000 Somalis from all walks of life, including community elders, teachers, traditional birth attendants, religious leaders, businessmen, women groups, and youth participated in these interviews.  “For the first time, the voices of the poor and vulnerable groups in Somalia have been documented, and are being communicated through these maps and publications”, stated Bruno Lemarquis, UNDP Somalia Country Director. From the census data, it is possible to target poverty reduction interventions to the areas with the highest levels of poverty, as well as develop programmes for poverty reduction in the country,” added Lemarquis. Some of the revelations made during the census show that about 19% of households in Lower Shabelle live on less than two meals a day, while 18% live on Zakat or charity. In Middle Shabelle, residents report that drought is the major hazard. In Sool, 91% of the settlements do not have access to doctors, whereas in Nugaal, about 86% of the settlements do not have access to markets. 

“The census has been a big leap forward for Somalia”, remarked Ron Isaacson, the World Bank representative, “it has unveiled much-needed data on the locations of communities, social and economic characteristics of the Somali people, and on poverty in the country”. “The survey collected vital information that will enable humanitarian and development actors to plan and prioritise activities based on the realities on the ground. It will also assist us to monitor the Millennium Development Goals and the impact of development, as well as assess the effectiveness of international aid”, said Sriram Pande, Senior Economist, UNDP Somalia. The results of the survey include more than 84 thematic maps and a regional poverty profile for each region, as well as Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of all locations and facilities - including temporary nomadic and water points, health and educational facilities, markets and water sources. 

“This data is expected to help direct aid and attention towards the most vulnerable places in Somalia. This information is useful in determining the causal factors associated with poverty, and therefore the short-term and medium-term interventions required to allevi­ate poverty in Somalia” said Christian Baslev-Olesen, acting UN Resident Coordinator. While the situation has changed to some extent, particularly in South-Central Somalia and in the last one year, in the absence of typical indicators used to calculate poverty worldwide, the census still provides crucial information that needs to be tapped into – ranging from the causes of income poverty to the communities’ perceptions on insecurity and vulnerability, and access to basic social services.  Through the census, UNDP has attempted to reach out to Somalis at the grassroots levels, to document and communicate the voices of the poor and vulnerable groups. 
 
 
For additional/updated information on the community census, kindly visit http://www.so.undp.org/census/index.ph