Halabookhad IDP settlement was established in April 2010 to accommodate 278 IDP families evicted from the ex-Siinay IDP settlement in Galkayo. The settlement is situated about 11 kilometres from the Galkayo Town. While the settlement had been earmarked to only accommodate the evicted families, the populations swell to 500 households by the end of the 2nd month of settlement in the camp. Today the settlement has between 600 to 700 households. Resident families include those displaced by conflict and instability from Central and South Somalia and others displaced by drought from various parts of Mudug and other areas of North East Somalia.
GECPD work in Halabookhad
GECPD has been working with the Halabookhad community since establishment in 2010 providing cash and non-cash based livelihood support 360 families. With the support of various donors, GECPD has since 2010 established a Community Center for the Halabookhad community. The community center includes a Women Market, (a section of which has been converted to a Child Friendly Space. The center had initially 3 blocks consisting 2 classrooms, 1meeting room, 1 store room, 2 rooms operating as child friendly spaces and a play ground. With the financial support of Icelandic Red Cross through the IFRC/SRCS, an addition was made to the facilities at the center in 2013.
This was in form of a block building comprising of a dining room for children attending the child friendly space, a kitchen and a store, a water tank and 2 toilets. With further support from Icelandic Red Cross, a Youth Friendly corner has been added to the center comprising of 2 dressing rooms with inside toilets/water closets, 1 meeting room and a High School standard basketball court. A solar power system has also been installed at the Halabookhad Community center to service the power energy needs of the center.The center is now offering Integrated Non-Formal and Formal Primary Education to women, girls and a selected group of vulnerable boys and Early Childhood Education and Psycho-social support to neglected, abandoned and abused children as well life skills development through sports for the youth in the settlement.
