AL-TA’AWUN SOCIAL SERVICES (TSS)

AL-TA’AWUN SOCIAL SERVICES (TSS)

WASH Rapid Assessment Report

Location: Kahda District, Banadir Region, Somalia
Assessment Dates: 8–9 July 2026
Conducted by: TSS WASH Team

1. Background

Al-Ta’awun Social Services (TSS) conducted a two-day WASH Rapid Assessment in Kahda District, focusing on Catchment 3 from 8–9 July 2026. The assessment was initiated following reports of a significant influx of newly displaced households arriving due to conflict, insecurity, prolonged drought, and the impacts of torrential rains in the past 3 weeks.

The newly arrived internally displaced persons (IDPs) have settled in  overcrowded informal sites with very limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. These conditions increase the risk of outbreaks of waterborne and communicable diseases such as acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) /cholera.

2. Objectives

The assessment aimed to:

• Assess the WASH conditions of newly arrived IDP households.
• Identify urgent water, sanitation, and hygiene needs.
• Conduct emergency hygiene promotion sessions.
• Provide recommendations for immediate humanitarian response.

3. Methodology

The assessment employed rapid humanitarian assessment methodologies, including:

• Direct observation of WASH facilities and environmental sanitation.
• Household interviews with community members and newly arrived families.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with women, men, youth, and community leaders.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with camp leaders and local authorities.
• Hygiene promotion and community awareness sessions.
• Site inspections of water sources, sanitation facilities, and waste disposal areas.

4. Population Reached

The assessment and hygiene promotion activities reached approximately 1,709 people, including:

• Newly arrived internally displaced persons.
• Women and girls.
• Older persons.
• Persons with disabilities.
• Host community members.

S/N	Camp name	Total population	New arrivals	GPS
	Duniyo	356	56	Lat: 2.062675 Long: 45.231408
	Sanaag Bari	500	96	Lat:2.056352 Long; 45.23442
	Burtinle	467	123	Lat: 2,055929 Long:45.234306
	Badweyn	386	104	Lat: 2.055752 Long: 45.233313

5. Hygiene Promotion Activities

The TSS WASH team conducted community hygiene promotion campaigns covering:

• Proper hand-washing with soap at critical times.
• Safe collection, storage, and treatment of drinking water.
• Household water handling practices.
• Proper use and maintenance of latrines.
• Safe disposal of children’s faeces.
• Environmental sanitation and solid waste management.
• Prevention of cholera, acute watery diarrhoea, and other waterborne diseases.
• Personal hygiene, particularly for women and children.
• Community reporting mechanisms for WASH-related concerns.

6. Key Findings

Water

• Limited access to safe drinking water.
• Long distances to available water points.
• High cost of water for vulnerable households.
• Inadequate water storage containers.

Sanitation

• Severe shortage of household and communal latrines.
• Many existing latrine pits are full, damaged, or unsafe.
• Open defecation is widely practiced due to insufficient sanitation facilities.
• Poor drainage around shelters and communal areas.

Hygiene

• Limited availability of soap and hygiene materials.
• Poor hand-washing practices due to lack of facilities.
• Inadequate knowledge of disease prevention among newly arrived families.

Environmental Conditions

• Accumulated solid waste around settlements.
• Standing water created by recent torrential rains.
• Flooding has damaged shelters and contaminated living areas.
• Increased mosquito breeding sites.

7. Public Health Risks

The assessment identified several public health concerns:

• High risk of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea outbreaks.
• Increased incidence of skin infections and respiratory illnesses.
• Elevated risk of malaria due to stagnant water.
• High exposure of children to contaminated environments.
• Increased vulnerability of pregnant women, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

8. Factors Contributing to the Situation

• New displacement caused by ongoing conflict and insecurity.
• Destruction of livelihoods and infrastructure.
• Heavy torrential rains leading to flooding and poor sanitation.
• Overcrowding in informal settlements.
• Insufficient humanitarian assistance to meet increasing needs.

9. Priority WASH Gaps

• Construction of emergency communal and household latrines.
• Rehabilitation of filled latrine pits.
• Emergency water trucking and rehabilitation of water points.
• Distribution of hygiene kits and water storage containers.
• Installation of hand-washing stations with soap.
• Regular hygiene promotion and community awareness campaigns.
• Solid waste management and environmental cleaning.
• Disease surveillance and preparedness for cholera response.

10. Recommendations

TSS recommends that humanitarian partners and relevant authorities:

1. Provide immediate emergency WASH assistance to newly displaced households.
2. Construct gender-sensitive emergency latrines and bathing facilities.
3. Increase access to safe and affordable drinking water.
4. Distribute hygiene kits, soap, and water treatment supplies.
5. Strengthen hygiene promotion through trained community volunteers.
6. Enhance disease surveillance and rapid response mechanisms.
7. Coordinate with WASH Cluster partners to address urgent service gaps.
8. Prioritize support for women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
9. Conduct regular monitoring to track evolving humanitarian needs.

11. Conclusion

The WASH Rapid Assessment confirmed that newly arrived displaced populations in Catchment 3 and Catchment 4 of Kahda District face critical water, sanitation, and hygiene challenges. Open defecation, inadequate sanitation facilities, poor hygiene practices, flooding caused by torrential rains, and displacement due to conflict have significantly increased the risk of disease outbreaks. Immediate, coordinated humanitarian interventions are urgently required to improve living conditions, protect public health, and prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.