Special Issue: Giving in Somali diaspora humanitarianism

African societies have long relied on practices of solidarity and mutual support through family, community, and diaspora networks in times of need. As formal humanitarian aid declines, such practices become even more important. While diaspora humanitarianism organized outside the African continent has received some policy and research interest, emergency assistance within Africa is extensive yet understudied.

A new special issue addresses this gap, focusing on Somalia diaspora humanitarianism and its practices, motivations, and implications. Six articles show how Somali diaspora actors in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia and their counterparts in the Somali regions practice and perceive such emergency responses in the case of droughts, floods, COVID-19 and other emergencies.

Drawing on original, in-depth, and multi-sited studies, the articles examine, document, and critically reflect upon the practices and ambivalences of diaspora humanitarianism, from the perspectives of those involved. An introduction and afterword put them into perspective and discuss their theoretical implications.

The special issue is published in the journal of Africa Spectrum and is open access. Guest-edited by Nauja Kleist, senior researcher at DIIS, and Mark Bradbury, executive director of Rift Valley Institute, it is an output from the Diaspora Humanitarianism in Complex Crises (D-Hum) collaborative research project.