Waheen Market Fire-outbreak Response Hargeisa is the capital city and economic hub of Somaliland. Hargeisa is home to an estimated 1.5 million residents and has been growing economically and demographically over the last 30 years. Waaheen Market, the largest market in Somaliland and one of the largest in the Horn of Africa region, was a booming business hub with links to major markets in Somaliland and beyond. Waaheen Market washome to an estimated five thousand small and large businesses and served as the direct and indirect livelihoods source for hundredsof thousands of people. The market was a significant distributor feeding communities in Somaliland, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti.

On 01 April 2022, a huge fire engulfed the Waheen Market and destroyed majority of business and properties in the market. Preliminary reports estimate that between USD 1.5 billion to 2 billion worth of businesses and assets were destroyed by the fire disaster and as many as 65,000 direct and indirect jobs were lost, per the ad-hoc National Committee coordinating relief and support efforts to the Waaheen victims.  Per an initial Presidential Briefing on the Waaheen fire outbreak, the loss will result in 40% reduction in the Hargeisa Municipality’s income and 20% of the national tax revenue and 60% decline of the national GDP.

While this fire disaster affects entire economic groups, the disproportionate effect on street vendors and those operating micro businesses (majority of them being women and youth) is alarming. Majority of micro business owners and street vendors rarely have diversified income sources and, hence, lost all their livelihood means. This incident comes at a time when Somaliland was feeling the effects of dire drought situation, covid-19 pandemic and effects of the Ukraine crisis resulting in surging prices of basic commodities.
As a first step and immediate response to the Waaheen market incident, Oxfam will support 48 micro business owners and street vendors (at least 60% women) with grants to revitalize their livelihood means. This timely support is expected to contribute to affected households reclaiming their livelihoods and while at the same time contributing to the reactivation of market activities. To avert future risks, supportedindividuals will be encouraged to open up bank accounts and to maintain basic book-keeping.
Oxfam will implement this project in collaboration with its partner, local partner (Shaqodoon). In collaboration with the Waaheen market committees, the Hargeisa municipality and the established ad-hoc National Committee, Shaqodoon will conduct a joint assessment to identify 48 women and youth-owned microbusinesses that have been hardest hit and most impacted by the Hargeisa market fire outbreak. Following the identification, face-to-face meetings with the affected women and youth business owners will be held in order to verify, profile their businesses and fill out cash injection forms. The project will support 48 women and youth (at least 60% women) effected microbusinesses by providing cash injections, on-site and one-to-one business skills training and mentorship to help them revive their microbusinesses and vendors.

A total of USD 1,000 grants will be awarded to each affected micro business owner in order to support them in re-establishing their microbusinesses. As part of the program, Shaqodoon teams will engage and train 10 social worker students from Ignite of University of Hargeisa to provide onsite basic business skills, financial literacy, basic bookkeeping training, and mentorship to help victims heal from the fire tragedy and facilitate to relaunch their businesses successfully. The affected micro business owners will be provided with a dedicated hotline number that they can call whenever they require assistance or guidance related to their business activities. Furthermore, Oxfam, in collaboration with its partner Shaqodoon, will advocate for women and youth to secure spaces in the new market when it is rebuilt.