By Abdilatif Maalim.

In the name of diseases, war and poverty they get funding worth millions of dollars but offer little for the disadvantaged who in their plight they get the dollars.

Fraudulent NGOs siphon millions of dollars from the accounts of the United Nation and other International NGOs in the name of helping hundred thousands of Somali refuges who have been displaced by war and ravaged by disease in the lawless nation.


After the fall of Mohamed Siad Barre and the years that followed the people of Somalia had to flee the raging war which claimed lives. United Nation peace keeping forces (UNISOM) failed to bring sanity in to the volatile situation.

International Ngos had to come in to avert the humanitarian crisis. Families were separated and their lives disrupted. The only option they have is to wait for NGOs to feed and treat them.

In the very first years NGOs provided the services the people yawned for. But after a series of violence against foreigners lead to formation of community based organizations. Many year later this CBOs will turn in to a profiteering NGOs recognized by the world.


NGOs had to recruit locals who would be able to deliver the services to their very own people. But local NGOs have made fortune out of the volatile Somali situation.

Some of the Somali people we interviewed doubt whether NGOs really do what they are meant to do.

Even though NGO workers provide support to the hundred thousands of people who need care. Many ordinary Somalis question the integrity of the NGO chiefs who operate and live lavish lives in Nairobi.

NGO chief’s drive the most expensive vehicles, own houses in Nairobi exclusive estates for the rich and operate multi-million businesses. A weak central government, no accounting firms to audit NGOs. These personalities thrive in the wake of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia.


A program officer in an NGO who sought anonymity said NGOs in Somalia are rarely accountable misappropriating Millions of dollars meant to aid the weak and disadvantaged of the Somali war.

“ With no accountability millions are put in to personal accounts and there is no one to follow up if the money has been put to correct use or not,” said the officer.


Writing for the Humanitarian Exchange magazine Robert Maletha, Policy Advisor, Oxfam Novib in Nairobi Kenya indicates that history has shown that outsiders engaging in Somalia are not accountable nor are they held accountable by others.

Recently Hizbul Islam, the second largest group fighting the transitional federal government of Somalia ordered all NGOs operating in the areas which they control to register with them.

“All organisations operating in the territories controlled by Hizbul Islam must accept accountability,” said Sheikh Abu Hanifa.

The transitional federal government of Somalia has a Ministry which deals with the registration of NGOs. However, the government can not account the work of the NGOs since Islamist Militias controls most of the southern Somalia.

Deputy speaker of the Somali parliament, Professor Mohamed Omar Talha admits that some NGOs are making money out of the Somali crisis and that it will take time before the government will be able to control and bring the work Of NGOs to book.

“Yes there are NGOs which are money making firms. But don’t forget that there are others which are doing a good job. As a government we will do all we can to bring to sanity to the situation in Somalia,

He adds as that NGOs working in Somalia spend heavily on labour and that the amount of resources that trickle down to the common man is little.

“If you look at the budgets of many of the NGOs then you will definitely get to understand that the objective is not to help those affected but rather to create employment for some indivuals,”.


The brief case NGOs are run secretly by Somali directors who occupy powerful offices in United Nation agencies.

After registering an NGO the chiefs write project proposals and make sure that the proposal for their own NGOs are approved.

When the funds are approved it’s shared between the approving authorities and the NGO chiefs and a portion of the funds gets to the ground where projects are initiated by locals.


A source in NGO run by Somalis in Nairobi which has projects in Southern Somalia said when they receive the funds from the United Nations they send only ¼ of the budget to Somalia to undertake projects.
“The rest is shared between the NGO chiefs who invest the money in buying property in Nairobi and other big towns.