Who We Are
Integrated Services for Displaced Populations (ISDP) is a women-led non-profit humanitarian and development
organization established in 2010 in Puntland State, Somalia.
Founded by professionals from diverse backgrounds, ISDP has evolved into a dynamic organization guided by experienced leadership and a strong commitment to inclusivity. Led by a female Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ISDP’s governance and operations reflect its dedication to gender equality and empowering women at all levels of decision-making. With 55% of its staff being women, ISDP ensures that its programs are informed by women’s perspectives, promote women’s empowerment, and prioritize inclusive, community-based solutions.
As a humanitarian organization, ISDP is dedicated to amplifying the voices of vulnerable populations particularly
women, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and children. The organization ensures their meaningful participation in
project planning, implementation, and decision-making processes.
ISDP adheres to global humanitarian principles and standards, including the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), the Sphere Standards, and Somalia’s national Humanitarian and Development Coordination Guidelines. Through these frameworks, ISDP upholds accountability to affected populations, promotes protection mainstreaming, and ensures that interventions are ethical, context-appropriate, and rights-based. Our mission is to support crisis-affected communities to recover from shocks, rebuild their livelihoods, and strengthen resilience for sustainable development.
ISDP’s success is anchored in strong governance, a skilled and committed team, effective risk management, and
evidence-based programming. The organization maintains a steadfast commitment to quality programming,
integrating robust monitoring, learning, and evaluation systems to improve performance and impact.
Vision
A society with improved living conditions through dedication to ending poverty and injustice.
Mission
Committed to improving living conditions in partnership with communities to build sustainable, healthy, and productive communities in Somalia.
Core values
1. Accountability and Transparency
We uphold the highest standards of responsibility and openness in all our actions and decisions. ISDP believes that trust is built through honesty, ethical conduct, and the willingness to be answerable to the communities we serve, our partners, and donors.
2. Respect
We recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. By listening actively and engaging communities as equal partners, we ensure that our interventions are inclusive, locally relevant, and driven by the priorities of those most affected.
3. Innovation: We embrace learning and creativity as tools for transformation. ISDP continuously seeks out innovative, context-appropriate, and evidence-based solutions to address poverty, improve service delivery, and strengthen community resilience across Somalia.
4. Quality and Excellence: We are dedicated to achieving the highest standards in program design, delivery, and accountability. Our pursuit of excellence ensures that every intervention delivers meaningful impact, value for resources, and sustainable results.
5. Advocacy and Empowerment: We stand with the poor and powerless, working to amplify their voices and ensure their rights and needs are reflected in policies and decisions that shape their lives.
6. Non-Partisanship and Equity: We are impartial and fair in all our operations, delivering services equitably to all in need regardless of gender, clan, ethnicity, or political affiliation. We are committed to inclusion and fairness in every aspect of our work.
7. Teamwork and Integrity: We believe that lasting change is built through collaboration, trust, and shared commitment. Our faith is in teamwork, honesty, consistency, and fairness to all stakeholders and beneficiaries we serve.
Our Partners
We have partnerships with key government institutions and ministries (Ministries of Health, the Ministries of
Education and Women Development and Family Affairs, of the Puntland State government), and other partners included; UNICEF, WFP, and MDM. We have close working relations with local communities in Puntland, our key success in delivering results is determined by the active involvement and engagement of local communities in project implementations.
ISDP Head Office shall be situated in Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia, with established branches and sub-offices
in the Regional Cities/Towns of Somalia to overseas any field operation. ISDP shall operate within all
regions of Somalia when need arises
Over-all Objective
ISDP’s overarching objective is to improve the living conditions of vulnerable and crisis-affected populations across Somalia by working collaboratively with key stakeholders and host communities to build self-reliant, healthy, and productive societies. The organization seeks to empower communities, strengthen local systems, and promote inclusive development that aligns
with national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To achieve this mission, ISDP implements integrated, multi-sectoral interventions across the following thematic areas: Health and Nutrition; Peacebuilding, Governance, and Social Cohesion; Livelihoods and Resilience; Youth Empowerment; Education; Shelter; Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Protection; and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). These thematic areas
collectively address the root causes of vulnerability, enhance community resilience, and contribute to long-term stability and development.
Specific Objectives
- Increase access to quality reproductive, maternal, child health, and nutrition services for vulnerable populations, with a strong focus on women and children.
- Strengthen community resilience and adaptive capacity through livelihood diversification, asset-building, and climate-smart solutions that reduce dependency and vulnerability to shocks.
- Expand access to safe and sustainable water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services for displaced populations and host communities.
- Facilitate access to inclusive, equitable, and quality education by creating safe, gendersensitive, and conducive learning environments.
- Promote youth empowerment through vocational skills training, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities to foster self-reliance and reduce poverty
- Advance peacebuilding, governance, and social cohesion by strengthening local institutions, promoting dialogue, and enhancing community participation in decision-making processes.
- Promote gender equality and the rights of women and girls by addressing gender-based violence (GBV), female genital mutilation (FGM), and harmful social norms.
- Enhance protection systems by providing timely response services, including case management, psychosocial support, and referrals for survivors of abuse and violence.
- Support durable solutions through the provision of shelter assistance and community-driven recovery interventions that promote safety, dignity, and resilience.
Thematic areas
- Health and Nutrition
- Peacebuilding, Governance, and Social Cohesion
- Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Protection
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
- Livelihoods and Resilience
- Youth Empowerment
- Education
- Shelter
What We Do
ISDP utilizes an integrated approach in its scope of intervention and implementation of its programs which try to address prevailing social problems and needs.
We are relentlessly committed to taking full responsibility and providing excellence in every project & endeavor we undertake. At ISDP, we pride ourselves on taking on big challenges and seeing them through within a set budget and time.
ISDP’s interventions and activities focus on the following thematic areas;
Health
ISDP is committed to improving access to quality primary healthcare and reproductive health services for vulnerable communities by strengthening local health systems, equipping health workers, and providing essential medical care. The organization emphasizes both preventive and curative approaches, including immunization, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, treatment of common illnesses, and management of HIV and tuberculosis through community-based screening, counseling, and referral systems.
Maternal, newborn, and child health services are fully integrated, and protection considerations are embedded to ensure safe and equitable access for women, children, displaced persons, and other marginalized groups. Health promotion and behavior change communication activities are conducted to raise awareness, encourage healthy practices, and improve community health outcomes, ultimately contributing to resilient, inclusive, and sustainable health services.
Nutrition
ISDP implements comprehensive nutrition programs that integrate preventive and curative approaches to address malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and food insecurity. Preventive activities include Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programs (BSFP) and Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MCHN) initiatives, which aim to improve dietary practices, promote appropriate feeding behaviors, and reduce the risk of malnutrition among vulnerable groups.
Curative services are provided through Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programs (TSFP) and stabilization centers, ensuring children and women with moderate or severe acute malnutrition receive timely and effective treatment. Nutrition interventions are reinforced with Social and Behavior Change Communication strategies to educate caregivers and communities on healthy feeding practices, dietary diversity, hygiene, and the importance of regular health check-ups. Protection measures are integrated across all activities, safeguarding children, women, and other at-risk populations from exploitation and ensuring equitable access to services.
Peacebuilding, Governance, and Social Cohesion
ISDP promotes inclusive governance and social cohesion by facilitating community led dialogues and fostering transparent decision making. In collaboration with local authorities and civil society organizations, ISDP establishes platforms where diverse community members including women, youth, and marginalized groups can voice their concerns and actively participate in governance.
These dialogues provide safe spaces to discuss issues such as resource allocation, security, and social norms, helping to build trust and mutual understanding. Using a transformative dialogue approach which combines both traditional conflict resolution mechanisms with modern peacebuilding strategies, ISDP encourages communities to openly examine underlying challenges and develop solutions collectively which strengthens local governance structures and contributes to sustainable peace.
Livelihoods and Resilience
ISDP works to strengthen the capacity of households and communities to withstand and recover from economic and recurrent environmental shocks. The organization implements a range of interventions, including climate-smart agriculture, small business support, income-generating activities, vocational and life skills training, and cash and voucher assistance programs. CVA is used to provide immediate financial relief to vulnerable families while linking recipients to longerterm livelihood opportunities and market-based solutions. Programs are designed based on thorough community needs assessments and tailored to the capacities of vulnerable groups, including women-headed households, youth, internally displaced persons, and marginalized populations.
Youth Empowerment
ISDP recognizes the important role of young people in Somalia’s recovery, peace, and development. The organization supports youth through vocational and life skills training,
entrepreneurship programs, and civic engagement initiatives. These interventions aim to create opportunities for employment, leadership, and active participation in community decision-making.
When youth empowerment is not a separate key indicator in projects, it is mainstreamed across all thematic areas, ensuring that young people are consistently engaged and considered in the design and implementation of ISDP programs.
Education
ISDP works to improve access to quality and inclusive education for children and youth, particularly those from displaced and marginalized communities. The organization supports school infrastructure by constructing and rehabilitating classrooms, providing desks, chairs, blackboards, and teaching materials, and installing gender-segregated latrines, handwashing facilities, and safe drinking water points. Accessibility is enhanced through ramps and other facilities for children with disabilities.
Beyond physical infrastructure, ISDP promotes safe and supportive learning environments by implementing school-based health and hygiene education, life skills sessions, and child protection awareness. The organization also integrates nutrition interventions, including school feeding programs, micronutrient supplementation, and health check-ups, ensuring that children are healthy and ready to learn. In addition, ISDP engages communities, parents, and school management committees in dialogues to promote school attendance, strengthen local ownership, and foster an inclusive approach that prioritizes marginalized children.
Shelter and NFI
ISDP provides transitional and durable shelter solutions to internally displaced persons and vulnerable families affected by crises. Shelter interventions are designed using community-driven approaches that prioritize safety, dignity, and resilience. In addition to housing, ISDP distributes essential non-food items, including blankets, cooking sets, hygiene kits, and other household necessities, to support basic living standards. These efforts help families recover from displacement, stabilize their living conditions, and lay the foundation for sustainable community reintegration.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Protection
ISDP provides comprehensive services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, child protection concerns, and psychosocial needs. The organization collaborates closely with communities and local actors to strengthen referral pathways, raise awareness of rights, and build local capacity to prevent and respond to violence. Special emphasis is placed on empowering women, girls, and children to live free from abuse, exploitation, and discrimination. Even in projects where GBV and protection are not the primary focus, these issues are systematically integrated across all activities to ensure consistent attention, fostering protective environments and ensuring the dignity, rights, and safety of vulnerable populations.
All ISDP staff receive training and sign policies that uphold zero tolerance for GBV, reinforce protection principles, and prevent sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), maintaining high ethical standards across the organization. The organization also implements Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) mechanisms, providing safe and confidential channels for communities to give feedback, raise concerns, or report incidents.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
ISDP works to ensure that vulnerable communities have reliable access to safe, adequate, and sustainable water and sanitation services. The organization implements a range of activities, including the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of water supply systems, such as shallow wells, boreholes, and water storage facilities. ISDP also establishes gender-segregated latrines, handwashing stations, and safe drinking water points to improve sanitation and hygiene practices.
Beyond infrastructure, ISDP promotes community-led hygiene and sanitation initiatives, delivering targeted behavior change communication campaigns and training local water committees to manage and protect water resources. These efforts reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases, improve public health outcomes, and strengthen community resilience to climaterelated shocks such as droughts and floods. ISDP also integrates WASH into other interventions, including health, nutrition, education, and shelter programs, providing holistic interventions that ensure hygiene and sanitation practices are consistently reinforced across all sectors.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)
ISDP has a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning system to ensure that its programs are effective, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all communities it serves. The organization systematically collects and analyzes data to track progress against planned activities and targets, with particular attention to capturing gender-disaggregated information, data on persons with disabilities, and marginalized or minority populations. Periodic evaluations assess the relevance, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of interventions, providing evidence to guide decision-making and improve programs.
Robust accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure that communities, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups, can safely provide feedback, raise concerns, and report incidents. These mechanisms include Accountability to Affected Populations and protection-related feedback systems that guarantee timely and appropriate responses. Lessons learned, best practices, and field experiences are systematically documented and applied to strengthen future programming. By integrating monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning throughout all stages of project design and implementation, ISDP ensures that its interventions are evidence-based, inclusive, and responsive to the most vulnerable populations.
ISDP’s interventions are guided by a set of cross-cutting principles to ensure that all programs are inclusive, ethical, and sustainable. Gender equality and social inclusion are central to ISDP’s approach, ensuring that women, children, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups have equitable access to services and opportunities. Environmental sustainability is prioritized through interventions that promote responsible use of natural resources and minimize environmental degradation. All programs uphold human rights and protection standards, safeguarding the dignity and safety of vulnerable populations while ensuring interventions do no harm.
Conflict sensitivity is integrated into program design and implementation, preventing the exacerbation of existing tensions and supporting community-led peacebuilding. Accountability to Affected Populations ensures that communities are informed, consulted, and actively involved in decisions that affect them, strengthening transparency, trust, and local ownership of development and humanitarian initiatives.
Isdp Governance
ISDP upholds strong governance and operational systems to ensure accountability, transparency, and institutional integrity in all its activities. The organization has established clear reporting lines, internal controls, and a comprehensive risk management framework to strengthen compliance, enable effective audits, and ensure timely information sharing. These measures reinforce ISDP’s commitment to maintaining high ethical standards and operational excellence in line with national and international best practices.
ISDP operates under a structured governance system comprising a Board of Directors and an Executive Management Team. The Board of Directors serves as the highest decision-making body, providing strategic oversight, policy direction, and performance monitoring. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the head of the organization and leads the Executive Management Team, overseeing all programs and operations in alignment with the Board’s directives. Under the CEO, the Programme Manager ensures technical and operational coordination across all projects, promoting quality assurance, efficiency, and adherence to donor and national standards.
ISDP’s Support Services Department, consisting of Human Resources, Finance, and Logistics and Procurement units, plays a vital role in maintaining organizational efficiency and accountability. These departments support effective budgeting, compliance, staff development, procurement, and logistics, ensuring smooth program delivery. The five-member Board of Directors brings diverse expertise in governance, finance, humanitarian response, and development management, ensuring that ISDP’s governance remains evidence-based, transparent, and responsive to community needs
Isdp Organization Structure
The board of trustees is the highest authority of the organization who are responsible for the policy and decision making and fundraising initiatives. The board is composed of seven (7) officials who are active and highly experienced in different fields. The key geographical experience of the members is Somalia especially Puntland State with hands on experience in the fields of food and nutrition, Gender, community health, water sanitation and hygiene, child survival, protection, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, management and Fundraising.
The board consists of: -
| No | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Abdikarim Mohamed Jama |
Chairperson |
|
2 |
Mohamed Mohamud Ahmed |
Vice Chairperson |
|
3 |
Ahmed Abdi Bulshale Fahad |
Secretary
|
|
4 |
Hibo Haji Mohamed |
Treasurer |
|
5. |
Abdirahman Abdullahi Warfa |
Member
|
|
6 |
Burhan Elmi Hersi |
Member |
|
7 |
Abdirahman Mohamed Farah |
Member |
Our Recent Projects
| Name of the Project | Duration | Location | Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Support scale-up of preventative and
curative nutrition services for
Children and women in Puntland |
2023 to Dec-2025 |
Bosaso district |
UNICEF |
|
Integrated relief, food security, and
nutrition programming |
April 2025-
October 2025 |
Bosaso, Qardho,
Iskushuban and
Qandala |
WFP |
|
HIV prevention and case management in
Puntland state of Somalia |
April 21, 2024 –
Dec. 31, 2027 |
Bosaso, Garoowe,
Qardho,Galkio and
Badhan districts
|
UNICEF |
|
Integrated PD on Malaria-Towards an
Accelerated and Coordinated path to
National Elimination (Malaria BCC & HIV
prevention and case management. |
2021 to 2023 |
Bari, Mudug and
Nugaal regions |
Global fund via
UNICEF |
|
Integrated Emergency Health and
Nutrition Services for Vulnerable Population
Groups in Qandala District of Bari Region in
Puntland Somalia |
April 2022 to
March 2023 |
Qandala district |
SHF |
|
TSFP/MCHN nutrition program
|
2021 to March 2025 |
Bosaso and Qandala,
Iskushuban and
Qardho district |
WFP |
|
Bosaso and Qandala,
Iskushuban and
Qardho district |
Oct 2023 to Jan2024 |
Bosaso |
UNICEF |
|
Provision of Integrated Health and
Nutrition programme (IHNP) services in
Bosaso district in Bari region. |
Jan 2020 to
October
dec2022 |
Bossaso district |
UNICEF |
|
Delivery of Quality Mother and child
Health services for IDPs and vulnerable
urban population in Puntland |
January 2017- to
May 2019
|
Bosasso District |
MDM |
|
Livelihood project |
January 2021 to
Dec-2022 |
Bosasso district |
WFP |
|
Strengthening Malaria Control and Health
Systems (Malaria BCC) PD/NEZ/2015/2002 |
December 2015
to 2020 |
Bari, Karkar Gardafu,
Nugal and Mudug |
UNICEF |
|
Nutrition Program MCHN, BSFP/TSFP |
January 2017 to
2019 |
Bosasso and Armo |
WFP |
|
Essential Package health services project
in Bosaso region, Puntland |
March 2015 to
Feb 2016 |
Bosasso |
MDM |
|
Nutrition Project therapeutic
supplementary food program FLA Number
CP/ISDP/107/TSFP/2013 |
January 2015 Up
to June 2017 |
Aluula district in Bari
region |
WFP |
Our Partners
| Category | Partners and Collaborations |
|---|---|
|
Government
Institutions |
ISDP maintains robust institutional partnerships with key line ministries and government agencies,
including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women Development and
Family Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Interior of the
Puntland State Government. Coordination with these ministries ensures that all interventions are
implemented in accordance with nationally endorsed guidelines, technical protocols, and
quality assurance frameworks, thereby promoting consistency, accountability, and sustainability
across sectors. ISDP also works closely with local municipalities across all districts of Puntland to
strengthen coordination, enhance service delivery, and promote locally led implementation
approaches. All programming is further aligned with sectoral policies and frameworks issued by
line ministries and reflects the Puntland State Government’s commitment to the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), national development priorities, and internationally recognized
humanitarian and development standards |
|
International and
National
Organizations |
ISDP collaborates with a range of international and national organizations, including the Somalia
Humanitarian Fund (SHF), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), as well as other local and
international NGOs serving as donors and implementing partners. These collaborations are
strengthened through cluster coordination platforms, Area-Based Coordination (ABC)
mechanisms, the Puntland Non-State Actors Association (PUNSAA), and other established
coordination frameworks that promote alignment with national and humanitarian priorities. |
|
Community and
Local Partnerships |
ISDP’s success is deeply rooted in community engagement. The organization works closely with
local communities, recognizing their central role in program effectiveness and sustainability.
Local partnerships extend to community-based organizations (CBOs), the Puntland Non-State
Actors Association (PUNSAA), youth groups, private sector actors such as Camper House, and
educational institutions including universities and colleges throughout Puntland. |