Hassan Ismail Awale, the Burao General Hospital administrator sees the impact of

solar energy for the safety of patients at the hospital. UNDP Somalia/Rooble
Mohamed
In the city of Burao, like in other areas of Somaliland, electricity is one of the most expensive commodities. Electricity is provided by a
number of private companies, using generators that consume a lot of fuel, making electricity one of the biggest challenges to both
development and investment as people struggle with high electricity bill s.

The picture is much bleaker in the health sector where hospitals need constant and powerful electricity to operate equipment necessary to
keep people alive. Bigger hospitals, such as the Burao General Hospital, have their own generators but struggle to afford fuel to keep them
on. Doctors often carry out long operations under uncertain circumstances – worried the frequent power cuts would threaten their work and
the lives of their patients. Burao hosts a growing number of internally displaced persons (I DP) and camps. Despite its increasing population,
Burao has only one main hospital with very limited resources. According to the medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières, it is the
biggest public hospital in the region, serving a population of at leas t 350,000 people.

To help address this critical issue, UNDP and the Ministry of Health teamed up to find an energy -efficient way to reduce electricity costs and
improve health services at the Burao Hospital. By installing solar panels at the hospital, the solar energy produces enough electricity to
cover nearly 75% of the hospitals’ needs. This clean energy provides the constant power needed to keep the hospital’s life -saving services
working without releasing carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Renewable green energy like solar panels contribute to a safer environment,
reduce pollution, and support the hospital to use clean and sustainable energy to serve the community.

Before the solar panels provided steady electricity, many patients were at risk. “I r emember one night as we had an emergency and a
patient was being operated on, but in the middle of the operation, there was a sudden power cut,” says Hassan Rooble, a nurse at Burao
Hospital. “It was horrific; I thought the patient was going to die. It was so dark and all the machines stopped. We did not have a generator
and even if we did there was no fuel. The doctor had to leave the wound open and only began stitching it once the electricity was back on,”
he said.

“We used to spend a lot of money on electricity that we simply did not have,” said Hassan Ismail, the hospital administrator at the Burao
General Hospital. “Even after a 50% discount (for public service), we used to pay $6000 USD per month just for electricity. B ecause
treatment at the hospital is almost free of charge, the Local Municipality used to cover some of the electric costs and sometimes we used to
ask local businessmen and companies for help when we couldn’t pay the difference,” said Ismail.

The solar power system brought huge cost savings for the hospitals on their electricity bills. The project has reduced the electricity expense
of Burao Hospital from $6000 per month to just $1500, allowing the hospital to use the saved amount in its other essential ar eas. It also
provides continuous and reliable electricity without fear of power cuts in the middle of operations. The solar power system includes a remote
monitoring system to provide real time information to monitor the system and keep it running.

Such interventions have been welcomed by Somaliland authorities. Somaliland’s Minister of Health Dr Suleiman Isse Ahmed thanked UNDP
and the government of Japan, which funded this project, for continuing to support the Somali people. UNDP helps Somali govern ment
institutions deliver the social services required by the Somali people. After the installation of the solar panels in Burao Hospital, the Ministry
of Health and the government asked UNDP’s assistance in installing more solar power in some health posts, IDP camps, police s tations and
other important areas.

UNDP’s Environment Project has been working with local government to ensure that Somali men and women benefit equally from im proved
natural resource management and sustainable sources of energy. UNDP strives to extend its gender -responsive and conflict-sensitive
support for the sustainable management of environment. This means developing institutional capacities to implement environmen t and
disasters management policies and promote sustainable energy options.

To ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and protection of the environment, UNDP draws on its institutional knowledge and
expertise to improve awareness about the adverse impacts of climate change, enhance national capacities for sustainable manag ement of
natural resources, implement best environmental management practices that benefit Somalis (men and women) and demonstrate innovative
renewable energy and energy efficient solutions.

Home » Member States » Somalia

Somalia

Somalia has one of the lowest energy consumptions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Somalia relies on fuel wood and charcoal, and imported petroleum to meet
its energy needs and it accounts for 82% of the country’s total energy
consumption. It suffers from lack of electricity in rural areas. In urban areas
as Mogadishu 60 % of the population is connected to electricity while, in
smaller cities only 23 % are connected to electrical services.
Renewable energy presents a way to address the current energy deficiencies
and related problems in the country. According the African Development
Bank Group (AfDB), the country has the highest potential of any African
country for onshore wind power.

More than 50% of Somalia has wind speeds greater than 6 meters per
second, which are excellent for electric energy production.As for solar
energy, Somalia gets on average 2,900 to 3,100 hours per year of sunlight
and has one of the highest daily averages of total solar radiation in the
world.

Somalia joined RCREEE in 2015.

http://www.rcreee.org/content/algeria