Burao – Although drought and climate shocks are frequent in this part of the Horn of Africa, 2025 has brought unusually severe hardships for families and children across Somaliland.
Travelling down from the Sheikh mountains on the route from Berbera on the Gulf of Aden, to Burao in Togdheer , the environment tells its own story. The land becomes harsher and more barren, dust hangs heavier in the air, and the animals that normally line the roadside—camels and goats—are noticeably scarce.
Current reports indicate that this year’s rainfall is among the lowest ever documented. Conditions are now even drier than during the same months in 2022, when a catastrophic drought wiped out livestock, ruined harvests, and forced countless families to abandon their homes in search of aid.
Ms. Koos Hassan Duale is among mothers attending the outpatient treatment programme at Dr Yusuf health center in Burao,Togdheer region.
“I attended this health facility to receive antenatal services like checkup, counselling and when required treatments. My children are also brought to the centre for important health services like immunization and nutrition’ she stated.
Koos is among thousands of women, newborns and children across Togdheer who are benefiting from the Better Lives Health Programme, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
A Lifeline for Pregnant Women and Newborns in Togdheer
At the Sheik Yusuf MCH, mothers wait patiently with their children—some for vaccinations, others for antenatal checks or nutrition assessments. This facility, like many others in Togdheer, receives direct support through the Better Lives programme.
The programme offers an essential package of health and nutrition services, including:
- Maternal and antenatal care
- Neonatal and newborn support
- Nutrition screening and treatment
- Referral services for complicated pregnancies
- Supply of essential medicines
For women in this district, these services are not only helpful—they are life-saving.
Meeting Critical Health Needs in Burao and Beyond
According to Dr Sahra Abdi, Dr Yusuf Health centre, the programme’s impact in Burao has been substantial.
“The Better Lives Health programme is reaching families who would otherwise struggle to access quality care,” she explains. “For instance, through the referral system, pregnant women with complications are taken by ambulance to Burao Regional Hospital, where they receive specialized and lifesaving services.
The support also includes regular supplies of essential medicines and equipment to health facilities, ensuring that services remain reliable even in remote and underserved communities.
Strengthening Health Systems for the Future
With support from FCDO, UNICEF works closely with the Somaliland Ministry of Health Development and implementing partners such as Mercy USA to ensure that services reach the most vulnerable populations.
Health, Hope and a Better Tomorrow
At the Burao MCH, Koos finishes her check-up and prepares to leave. She clutches her medical booklet tightly—a small reminder that she is not alone on this journey.
“With this programme, I feel confident about my health,” she says softly. “It has given me hope.”