In brief
- Horn Diplomat's 2023-04-12 report cites African Development Bank funding and six-year implementation but gives no completion certificate or current status.
- The report leaves unverified contractor details, total costs, operational status of sanitation amenities, and committee activity after 2022.
- Conflicting figures exist: 8,500 vs 'hundreds' of displaced persons, and water shortfall of 67% vs claims of improved access.
On 12 April 2023, Horn Diplomat published a report describing the Water Infrastructure Development Programme for Resilience in Somaliland (WIDPR), funded by the African Development Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources Development in collaboration with CARE International. The report states the programme ran over six years, from 2016 to 2022, across several rural and peri-urban communities in Somaliland.
The Horn Diplomat account mentions construction of a Haffir dam, boreholes, wells, and public sanitation amenities, plus establishment of water committees and sanitation committees. However, the same report leaves major factual gaps.
No contractor name, contract value, or completion certificate is given for the Haffir dam. The report does not break down new versus rehabilitated boreholes and wells, nor state a baseline date for house connection figures. It cites increased water production capacity but gives no metered throughput.
Contradictions appear in beneficiary and tariff figures. One section says 8,500 displaced persons gained access to affordable potable water, while another says the programme served "hundreds of displaced persons", a discrepancy of an order of magnitude. On tariffs, the report claims families now pay as little as $1.5 per cubic metre, but elsewhere quotes a resident recalling an approved tariff of $1 per 1,000 litres, two figures that cannot both be correct without explanation.
The report includes an official statement from Berbera City Mayor H.E. Abdishakur Cidin, who lauded the programme and the partnership with the Bank, saying: "An urban water system that provides reliable water to the urban poor is essential for maintaining public health." The Ministry of Water Resource Development's vision statement is also cited, describing a goal of becoming a water-secured nation with universal access to clean, adequate, affordable water, sanitation and hygiene. But according to the report's own account, the programme fell short of the WHO-recommended minimum of 35 litres per capita per day by almost 67%.
The Horn Diplomat report was published after the implementation period ended. It contains no post-implementation monitoring data, no statement from the project's identified head of department, and no official tariff schedule. What happened to the water committees and sanitation committees after 2022, and whether the public sanitation amenities are operational, is not established.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly did Horn Diplomat report on 2023-04-12 about the water project in Somaliland?
Horn Diplomat reported that the Water Infrastructure Development Programme for Resilience in Somaliland (WIDPR) was funded by the African Development Bank, implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources Development with CARE International over 2016-2022, and that it fell short of the WHO minimum water volume by almost 67%.
Which aspects of the project outcomes remain unverified or undocumented?
No completion certificate, contractor name, or contract value for the Haffir dam; no breakdown of new vs rehabilitated boreholes and wells; no metered throughput; and no confirmation that the public sanitation amenities are operational or that the committees are still active.
Are there any independent sources confirming the project's claimed impacts?
The report is the only source available to us, and it carries no independent verification; contradictions within it (8,500 vs hundreds of displaced persons, tariff figures) further weaken confidence.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.