In brief
- Horn Diplomat reported on 14 February 2019 that DP World launched a water distribution centre in Berbera, Somaliland, said to increase water supply by 60 percent.
- The report said the project cost $1 million and started in 2018, with four wells, two shallow pools, two troughs, a concrete reservoir tank and a 7.0 km pipeline.
- The report does not establish what has happened to the water distribution centre or the wells since the February 2019 launch.
On 14 February 2019, Horn Diplomat reported that DP World had launched a new water distribution centre in Berbera, Somaliland, saying it increased the water supply in the city by 60 percent. The launch took place on the Monday of that week, according to Horn Diplomat, which dated the announcement 13 February 2019 and attributed the project details and the supply figure to DP World.
The same report said the project cost $1 million, began in 2018 and comprised four water wells, two shallow pools, two water troughs, a concrete reservoir tank and a 7.0 km pipeline connected to the main water supply. It is powered by a hybrid solar system and a main generator, and included construction of a mosque near the water distribution centre, Horn Diplomat reported.
Three of the wells were allocated to Berbera Municipality, while the fourth well and the two shallow pools were allocated for free drinking water for the local community and their animals, according to the report.
What the report leaves open
The 60 percent figure carries no named individual, agency or independent party confirming it, and the report gives no baseline or methodology for it. The $1 million is described only as the project cost; the report does not state its currency or whether it is total project cost, contract value or budget. No contractor, consultant or implementing partner is named, and no completion date is stated beyond the 2018 start and the 2019 launch.
What has happened to the water distribution centre and the wells since February 2019 is not established by the report. DP World's statements as carried by Horn Diplomat do not give a contract value, an operating status after the launch, or any subsequent supply measurement.
Related claims in the same report
Horn Diplomat also carried DP World claims that, since 2017, it improved Berbera Port's performance by 70 percent and increased port capacity by 50 percent, with no independent verification, baseline or methodology provided. DP World Berbera was reported as claiming it trained over 2,700 Somalilanders in 2018 locally and overseas. The report further carried DP World claims of sponsorship of 11 schools, a maritime education academy, two hospitals and a clinic in Somaliland, and of providing 4.5 million litres of water to the drought committee in Berbera in 2017 to support 15,000 families.
Group-wide figures in the same report, not Berbera or Somaliland figures, were DP World's claim of handling 71.4 million TEU across its portfolio in 2018, a current gross capacity of 88.2 million TEU expected to rise to more than 100 million TEU by 2020 in line with market demand, and a portfolio of 78 operating marine and inland terminals in over 40 countries with over 36,000 employees. Horn Diplomat carried DP World media contacts Awad Mustafa and Sanaa Maadad, Corporate Communications Managers for Middle East and Africa.
Frequently asked questions
What is the new water supply capacity at Berbera?
Horn Diplomat reported that the water distribution centre increased the water supply in Berbera by 60 percent. That figure is attributed to DP World, and no named individual, agency or independent party is cited confirming it.
What infrastructure does the project include?
According to Horn Diplomat, the project includes four water wells, two shallow pools, two water troughs, a concrete reservoir tank and a 7.0 km pipeline connected to the main water supply, powered by a hybrid solar system and a main generator, plus a mosque near the water distribution centre.
What is the impact on local residents?
Horn Diplomat reported that three wells were allocated to Berbera Municipality, and the fourth well and two shallow pools were allocated for free drinking water for the local community and their animals. The report does not establish what has happened since the February 2019 launch.