Region
Woqooyi Galbeed (Hargeisa, Berbera)
Woqooyi Galbeed is the north-western region that holds Hargeisa (Hargeysa) and the port of Berbera, with about 1 to 1.45 million people. It is run by Somaliland and free of al-Shabaab, and Hargeisa is a trade hub, but more than 71,000 displaced people in its settlements lack food and health care.
Who lives there
Estimates for September 2024 range from about 1,022,984 people (IOM, likely an undercount) to 1,447,484 (IPC). The districts are Hargeisa (the capital), Gebiley and Berbera (EUAA Woqooyi Galbeed, May 2025).
Hargeisa city has 1.2 to 1.5 million people in eight districts. Many communities live there. The Gabooye minority lives mainly in Daami (Ga'an Libah district). Migrants from Ethiopia and Yemen live in the city too. Its 16 settlements for displaced people hold 71,606 people: 65% are women and 24% are under five, and food and health care are their worst gaps (EUAA Hargeisa, May 2025).
Work and money
Hargeisa is a trade hub on the road from Berbera port to Jigjiga and Addis Ababa. Poverty is widespread, and low wages often support households of seven to nine people (EUAA Hargeisa). Across Somalia, water barrels doubled or tripled in price, and fuel went from $0.60 to $1.50 a litre by April 2026 (OCHA, Apr 2026).
Who governs
The Somaliland administration runs the whole region, under President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (since 2024). Al-Shabaab holds no land (EUAA). Somaliland declared independence in 1991. The UN and the AU treat it as part of Somalia. Israel recognised it on 26 December 2025. Crowds celebrated in Hargeisa, and Somalia and the AU condemned the move (Al-Monitor).
Hargeisa has a mayor, Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge (since June 2021), councils and city departments (EUAA Hargeisa). The health ministry ran a polio campaign with WHO and UNICEF (OCHA). There were 14 security incidents and 22 deaths from April 2023 to March 2025, including clashes with a local armed group in Saaxil in August 2023 and election violence in Baligubadle in August 2024 (EUAA).
What people face now
- 22 July 2025: a drought emergency, with an appeal for 650,000 people across Somaliland (OCHA, Aug 2025).
- 28 September to 2 October 2025: emergency polio vaccination for more than 865,000 children under five, after cases in nearby regions (OCHA).
- Ongoing: 71,606 displaced people short of food and health care (EUAA Hargeisa).
Top needs
- Food and health care for displaced people in Hargeisa's 16 settlements.
- Paid work for young people in a low-wage city.
- Child health: vaccination and nutrition.
- Papers and services for minorities and migrants.
- Water and fodder for herders in the drought.
Sources
- EUAA Woqooyi Galbeed, May 2025 · euaa.europa.eu
- EUAA Hargeisa, May 2025 · euaa.europa.eu
- OCHA, Apr 2026 · reliefweb.int
- Al-Monitor · al-monitor.com
- OCHA · reliefweb.int
- OCHA, Aug 2025 · reliefweb.int
Gathered in our research record “Somalia regions”. Wikipedia is used only as a backup.
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