Building a Future from the Ground Up in Somalia Today

“When we came here, we lived in a tent,” Hawo says. “The heat was unbearable and we never felt truly safe.”

Hawo and Shukri are two of thousands of Somali families displaced by the adverse impacts of climate change, mainly prolonged droughts and environmental degradation that continue to drive displacement across Somalia.

In Doolow, where searing winds sweep through settlements often built from plastic sheets and tarpaulins, families once displaced by drought and conflict are finding new hope in homes built from the earth itself.

Their new shelters, sturdy, naturally cooler, and built with locally made mudbricks, are part of IOM’s effort to introduce vernacular earth-based, climate-adaptive construction across Somalia’s arid areas.

The approach replaces temporary plastic shelters with durable, sustainable materials and designs that respond to cultural needs and Somalia’s environmental pressures while restoring dignity to families who have lived too long in crisis.

“This house is much better,” Shukri says. “It protects us and keeps my children safe, and it is cooler and more comfortable to live in. Compared to the shelters we had before, this one feels stronger, easier to maintain, and more secure for my family.”

As recurrent droughts and environmental degradation continue to act as drivers of displacement and put growing pressure on already fragile resources, the need for scalable and environmentally sustainable shelter solutions has become increasingly urgent in the face of climate change. For IOM, shelter is not a product, but a process, one that helps communities adapt, recover, and rebuild in a safe and sustainable way, while reducing pressure on the environment.

To bring this vision to life, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) partnered with the International Centre for Earth Construction (CRAterre), a research institute for earthen architecture. Since 2022, the partnership has provided several rounds of training to local masons, authorities, and shelter partners to build knowledge and capacity in earth construction techniques.

“Earth is the most accessible, affordable, and climate-responsive building materials we have in Somalia,” explains Abdikarin Adan Salad, an IOM engineer involved in the programme. “By using local materials and training local builders and community members, communities are not only building shelters, they are building resilience against future climatic shocks.”

“Unlike temporary shelters often built from imported sheeting and short-term materials, earth-based shelters use locally sourced soil and natural materials with lower environmental impact while providing better insulation against heat,” says Manuel Marques Pereira, IOM Chief of Mission in Somalia.

Previously, IOM upgraded 42 of Ladan’s 1,500 Improved Emergency Shelters. But in October 2025, work began on 50 additional mudbrick shelter upgrades through an owner-driven approach that incorporates a cash-for-shelter modality, empowering families to manage their own construction with guidance from IOM engineers and trained local masons.

“With the cash support we received, we were able to buy the materials needed to build our own shelter together with others in the community,” says Bisharo, a mother of five. “Being involved in building in the process made a big difference because it felt like we were creating a home.”

With the cash for shelter grant, Bisharo hired trained masons from the community and ensured the shelter unit matched her preferences. The approach, developed jointly with the authorities of Jubaland State and the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, transfers ownership to displaced households while strengthening community skills.

Families reuse existing frames, upgrade shelters gradually as resources allow, and hire trained labour from within their communities, creating jobs and reducing costs. Refresher trainings support successful upgrades, from soil testing and brick making to structural design and shelter maintenance.

This sustainable, environmentally friendly technique echoes what Somali and international experts also envision for the future of Somalia’s shelter and housing approaches to resolving displacement. In November 2025 in Mogadishu, the Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing announced winning proposals under the Homegrown, Sustainable, and Scalable Shelter Solutions in Somalia initiative, a collaboration between IOM, the Ministry, CRAterre, and global design partners including YACademy Bologna.

Since April 2025, university students, architects, and diaspora experts have worked to develop a new generation of shelter designs. Their proposals blended Somali cultural aesthetics with environmental functionality, creating homes that breathe with the climate, conserve energy, and can be built affordably using local materials.

Back in Doolow, as the afternoon sun glows over the red soil, the new homes stand firm, cool inside, with smooth mud walls that tell a story of resilience, reinvention, and hope.

“These shelters are more than just structures,” Bisharo says, looking at her children playing outside their home. “They give us a sense of stability and remind us that we have a place to call home.”

From the soil beneath their feet, Somalia’s displaced families are building their future, one brick at a time.

This story was written by Raber Aziz, Media and Communications Officer with IOM Somalia.