Zamzam on the international stage
Influencing the influential
Zamzam has an increasingly prominent presence on the international stage, contributing to UN summits and other major events that shape the global landscape in international aid and development.
Our aim is to be an influential voice in advocacy on Somalia, speaking up in support of positive change in areas that are critical for a more prosperous and peaceful future. These include:
- More and better targeted international aid and investment.
- Climate justice, including climate finance from richer countries to compensate for the loss and damage in poorer countries caused by carbon emissions elsewhere.
- Women’s education and economic empowerment.
- Joined-up ‘triple nexus’ programmes that integrate aid and development with peacebuilding.
- Effective ‘localisation’ and greater transparency to put more power and resources in the hands of local communities and organisations.
In 2024 our staff actively participated in a wide range of local, regional and international events and forums. Zamzam representatives attended policymaking summits and conferences online and in person across East Africa as well as in Europe, the United States, the Arabian peninsula and south-east Asia.
We also teamed up with partners to take part in joint research and advocacy efforts – vital collaboration in what is becoming an increasingly challenging humanitarian landscape as aid cuts start to bite. We have consistently advocated for more direct funding for local organisations in Somalia, in line with the 2016 Grand Bargain agreement which aims to ensure that local and national groups receive at least a quarter of all global aid budgets by 2026.
In March we were in Geneva for the annual assembly of the International Council for Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), one of the biggest and most influential NGO networks globally. In May we attended the Malaysia International Humanitarian Conference, strengthening our partnerships with Malaysian NGOs. We also signed the Climate and Environment Charter, committing ourselves to seven targets to be achieved over the next six years.
In September we took part in the 11th East African Humanitarian Summit (where we showcased Zamzam programmes in both Somalia and Kenya) and in the UN Summit of the Future, where world leaders and civil society got together to focus on improving global governance and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
In November we also travelled to Azerbaijan to participate in COP 29, the latest annual United Nations climate summit. We added our voice to those calling for the new loss and damage finance pledged at COP to be transferred swiftly to the communities who need it most.
Why campaign?
Aid alone will not be enough to address the many challenges Somalia faces – reflected in the startling statistics below. We believe it is important to speak out on the issues that matter and challenge the international community to act.
10.5 million Somalis live below the poverty line
6 million people need humanitarian aid to survive
8 million lack access to safe water and sanitation
1.6 million children are acutely malnourished
3.8 million people are displaced by poverty, climate change and conflict
3.6 million children are out of school
Help us empower families to lift themselves out of poverty
Education
Nearly half of Somalis (46%) cannot read and write. Our schools give girls and boys from some of the poorest families a good education and real hope for the future.
Livelihoods
More than half the population (54%) live below the poverty line. We help poor families earn a decent income by providing seeds, tools and livestock to farmers and grants to small businesses.
Peacebuilding
The climate crisis is causing conflict over scarce water resources and pasture. We are bringing communities together to resolve their differences and find lasting solutions.