ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN)

STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE AND CROSS-BORDER COORDINATION

Mandera County

Building peace and climate resilience across Kenya’s northern frontier

OVERVIEW

Mandera County sits at the tri-border point between Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, making it a crucial node for cross-border trade, humanitarian coordination, and peacebuilding efforts. Its harsh arid climate and limited infrastructure heighten vulnerability to drought, conflict, and disease outbreaks, while its people — primarily pastoralists — depend heavily on livestock and small-scale trade for survival..

Through the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), local member organizations are strengthening community resilience, improving access to basic services, and supporting peacebuilding across Mandera’s six sub-counties. They combine humanitarian assistance with long-term development and governance initiatives, ensuring that local leadership remains at the centre of all interventions. Garissa has long played a central role in Kenya’s humanitarian landscape — hosting large refugee populations, supporting resilience programming, and serving as a coordination hub for ASAL response initiatives. Through the ASAL Humanitarian Network (AHN), member organizations in Garissa are driving locally led action that links emergency response to peacebuilding, governance, and inclusive development..

Organization

  • Northern Region Development Agency (NORDA)
  • Women Care Concern
  • Women for Peace – Mandera (W4P-Mdr)
  • Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA)
  • Nomadic Assistance for Peace and Development (NAPAD)
  • Emergency Pastoralist Assistance Group – Kenya (EMAG)

Areas of Focus

  • Drought preparedness, water security, and climate adaptation for pastoralist communities.
  • Women’s empowerment and peacebuilding through inclusive participation and protection initiatives.
  • Cross-border collaboration for conflict prevention and coordinated humanitarian response.
  • Livelihood diversification and support to small-scale trade and livestock markets.
  • Policy engagement and governance strengthening to enhance accountability in ASAL programming.

IMPACT AND CHANGE

AHN members in Mandera have improved emergency response capacity and built stronger community systems that promote peace and sustainable development. Their locally led interventions have strengthened household resilience and expanded opportunities for women and youth.

These initiatives have:

  • Expanded access to safe water and drought mitigation infrastructure across arid settlements.
  • Established community peace committees engaging pastoralist clans from Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
  • Supported livelihood recovery programs that restock livestock and create income-generating opportunities.
  • Enhanced county-level coordination through participation in humanitarian clusters and planning forums.