Around the world, in multiple humanitarian crises and development situations, the issue of aid localization is crucial. Somalia is one such area where a growing number of Somali-led NGOs are looking to play a greater, more equal role in tackling the desperate situations that exist there, alongside their international counterparts, who currently lead the humanitarian response.

There are a range of challenges in the current context, which are preventing this from happening. Many of these barriers are visible to all actors involved, yet their viewpoints can be alarmingly different. If progress is to be made, it requires an understanding from all the stakeholders about each other’s constraints, challenges and proposals.