New grass-roots solution for Somalia: Somali Humanitarian Operational Consortium (SHOC)
8 February 2012 marks the launch of the Somali Humanitarian Operational Consortium (SHOC) in Mogadishu. 52 local development organisations came together to discuss the need for coordination and partnership, supported by The Humanitarian Forum, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Somali Relief and Development Forum and Muslim Charities Forum.
The involvement of local actors as genuine equals is vital because they have better access to local communities and can mobilize assistance faster. Often, local organisations are the first on the ground in times of need, they are allowed humanitarian access when INGOs are denied and they stay on after INGOs have left. The absence of relations between local and international organisations as well as the perceived reluctance of INGOs to work with local agencies are some of the major challenges in Somalia. SHOC will work towards bridging the gap between local and international organisations and will bring different actors together, allowing for dialogue at all levels.
On an international level, The Humanitarian Forum is holding a high level meeting for Somalia in London on 20 February 2012, in partnership with UN OCHA and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to put humanitarian and development needs back at the top of any agenda for change. We expect over 70 organisations from Somalia, Muslim countries and the West. More information to follow.
This meeting follows on from our previous conferences in Nairobi with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and UN OCHA. Read more about our previous meetings on Alertnet: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/from-relief-to-recovery-a-longer-term-vision-for-somalia.
Notes for editors
The Humanitarian Forum is a global network of key humanitarian and development organizations from Muslim donor and recipient countries, the West and the multilateral system. We improve the effectiveness and efficiency of aid by addressing identified gaps between humanitarian communities through training, dialogue and cooperation, working internationally and in partner countries like Indonesia, Libya and Yemen.
For more information, contact us directly at info@humanitarianforum.org.