Where resilience is a way of life and means progress
A new road project in Ethiopia's Somali Region, supported by the Lowland Livelihood Resilience Project, is transforming local communities by providing reliable access to healthcare and trade. The infrastructure has replaced dangerous, long-distance travel with a vital connection that saves lives and fosters economic stability.
Why it matters
Infrastructure development in remote regions is a critical driver for humanitarian outcomes and long-term regional stability.
As our plane descended toward Jigjiga, the regional capital of Ethiopia’s Somali Region, I felt a wave of excitement.
I had heard so much about the Somali Region: its proud pastoral heritage, the security challenges it has faced and overcome, and its journey toward stability.
During my stay, I engaged with regional leadership and gained insight into the current direction of the Region.
What stood out most was the sense of clarity and ownership they have around the region’s future and their emphasis on sustaining the peace achieved after years of instability.
The region has lived through fighting, displacement, and uncertainty.
That chapter is giving way to something far more hopeful – progress.
In this blog, I’m sharing the progress I saw.
But for the communities of Bilcil buur, that stretch of road means the difference between isolation and connection, between vulnerability and survival.
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