Federal Republic of Somalia
Country Overview
Somalia is located in the eastern tip of Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Mogadishu. Neighboring border countries are Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. It has a total area of 637,657 sq km comprising of 627,337 sq km of land and 10,320 sq km of water and a coastline of 3,025 km.
Some of the known natural resources are uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, and likely oil reserves.
The population currently stands at about 14.3 million (2016 estimates) and its growth rate is about 3% per annum. Of the total population, 47% are in the 1-14 years group, 50 % in 15-65 years group and 3% in the 65 and above years group. Ethnic groups are Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali (including Arabs) 15%. The languages of the country include Somali (official), Arabic, Italian and English.
Current Projects
The Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD) has played a multifaceted role in supporting Somalia's development. The Dryland Development Project tackles the challenges of arid environments, fostering sustainable agricultural practices and food security. Focusing on healthcare, the ISFD partnered with the Alliance for Avoidable Blindness (AFAB) to screen for and address uncorrected refractive errors, a significant cause of vision problems. Furthermore, the ISFD's support for Tadamon CSOs Accelerator Save the Children empowers civil society organizations, strengthening their capacity to serve Somali communities. Additionally, the ISFD's investment in Somali Literacy Apps equips young children (aged 5-7) with crucial literacy skills.
