Sahan International Relief Association
Charity 1149530
Overview
Summary
Sahan International Relief Association appears to combine a broad humanitarian mission focused on Somalia with a smaller-scale advisory and youth-support function. Its formal objects permit activity across education, poverty, health, employment, reconciliation and sustainable development, while its reported activities emphasise practical support with job applications, legal advice and youth training. The organisation’s website presents a far larger emergency and development narrative, suggesting either a wide delivery network or an important gap between public-facing impact claims and the operational detail currently available.
Operational geography
Coverage: International
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- Direct evidence from the Charity Commission identifies Birmingham City as a place where the charity operates, but does not identify any Birmingham service venue, ward, neighbourhood, delivery programme, beneficiary catchment or partner.
- There is therefore insufficient evidence to assign activity to any of the supplied Birmingham wards or to City Centre. The Charity Commission entry supports Birmingham-wide presence at city level only, not citywide delivery across Birmingham neighbourhoods.
- The charity's official website presents current relief and development activity in Somalia, including projects associated with Laascaanood and wider Somali communities. It does not explain whether Birmingham activity consists of direct services, fundraising, volunteer activity, advice provision, grant-making or partnership work.
- No current material partnership extending the organisation's operational reach in Birmingham was identified. An older Charity Commission trustees' report refers to work with a sister association in Finland, but this is not sufficient evidence of a current partnership or of Birmingham operations.
- The Charity Commission records that the charity does not own or lease land or property. This does not rule out use of hired, shared or partner venues in Birmingham, but no such venue was evidenced.
Additional evidence needed
- A current annual report, impact report or service timetable identifying Birmingham programmes, delivery locations, beneficiary numbers and dates.
- Confirmation from the organisation of any Birmingham venues used for advice, employment support, youth activities, training, sport or community meetings.
- Details of current Birmingham delivery partners, referral partners, host venues or commissioned services, if any.
- A breakdown distinguishing activity delivered directly in Birmingham from activity delivered overseas or from UK-based fundraising and administration.
Areas of work
- Amateur Sport
- Education/training
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- General Charitable Purposes
- Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity
- Overseas Aid/famine Relief
- Recreation
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Human Resources
- Provides Services
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A bridge between humanitarian relief and practical inclusion support
The available evidence suggests the organisation is designed to address immediate hardship alongside longer-term participation, particularly through education, employment support and youth activity.
Why it matters
This may make Sahan a potentially useful connector between crisis-response needs and the local capabilities people need to navigate work, services and community life.
Show evidence
“Its objects include relieving poverty, providing education, preserving health, relieving unemployment and promoting reconciliation.”
Source:Charity Commission“It reported training 25 young people in project planning and management and helping 255 people and families with job applications, legal advice and information.”
Source:Charity Commission
A Somalia-centred public identity with limited delivery detail
The website frames the organisation principally around Somali communities, orphan support, food, health care and emergency response, but the supplied evidence does not show how these programmes are governed or delivered.
Why it matters
Understanding whether Sahan delivers directly, funds partners or acts mainly as a fundraising intermediary is essential for identifying its real relationships and collaborative role.
Show evidence
“The website refers to support for orphans across Somali Country, food and nutrition projects across Somali cities, and health care in Laascaanood.”
Source:Organisation“The charity states that it makes grants to individuals and organisations, provides services and human resources, and acts as an umbrella or resource body.”
Source:Charity Commission
Impact claims deserve careful corroboration
There is a notable difference between the modest quantified activities reported to the Charity Commission and the website’s multi-million-person impact claims. This may reflect different reporting periods, a wider partner network or inconsistent measurement.
Why it matters
Clarifying this would substantially improve confidence about the organisation’s scale, reach and the meaning of its reported impact.
Show evidence
“The website claims 14.5 million people supported in 2024, 407 development projects and 266 emergency projects.”
Source:Organisation“The reported activities include 25 young people trained and 255 people and families helped with enquiries.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether major Somalia programmes are delivered directly, through partner organisations or through grants.
- How website impact figures are defined, verified and linked to the registered charity.
- Which communities and geographic areas receive the reported employment and advice support.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, accounts and trustee reports explaining programme expenditure and delivery partners.
- Project-level evidence showing locations, beneficiary numbers, outcomes and methods for calculating impact claims.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Main activities To help poor people for education, prevention or relief from poverty To engage youth to find job, sports activities. To facilitate educational and sports activities for youth. Trained 25 youth about project planning and management 255 persons and families had been helped for their enquiries for job applications legal advice information.
Charity objects
1)TO ADVANCE EDUCATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE POOR, THE UNDERPRIVILEGED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC BY MEANS OF, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, THE PROVISION OR THE ASSISTANCE IN THE PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES, SUCH AS SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES AND TRAINING CENTRES; (2) TO RELIEVE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, DISTRESS AND SUFFERING AMONG POOR PEOPLE, WIDOWS, ORPHANS, REFUGEES, VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND OTHER PEOPLE IN NEED, BY MEANS OF, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, MAKING GRANTS OR LOANS FOR PROVIDING OR PAYING FOR ITEMS, EQUIPMENT, SERVICES AND FACILITIES, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF FOOD, WATER, CLOTHING, MEDICAL TREATMENT, REHABILITATION AND ACCOMMODATION FOR THE SAID PERSONS; (3) TO RELIEVE SICKNESS AND TO PRESERVE GOOD HEALTH AMONG PEOPLE IN NEED, BY MEANS OF, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, THE PROVISION OF, EDUCATION, PRACTICAL ADVICE AND COUNSELING, INCLUDING THE PROVISION OF SPORTING ACTIVITIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SAID PERSONS; (4) TO PROVIDE OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN THE INTERESTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR RECREATION OR OTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITIES BY REASON OF THEIR YOUTH, AGE INFIRMITY OR DISABILITY, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEIR CONDITIONS OF LIFE; (5) THE RELIEF OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN SUCH WAYS AS MAY BE THOUGHT FIT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ASSISTANCE TO FIND EMPLOYMENT AND PROVISION OF BUSINESS ADVICE; (6) TO PROMOTE CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND RECONCILIATION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT WITH A VIEW TO RELIEVING SUFFERING, POVERTY AND DISTRESS, AND BUILDING AND MAINTAINING SOCIAL COHESION AND TRUST WITHIN AND BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES; (7) TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC BY THE PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION AND THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PRUDENT USE OF RESOURCES, AND THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE MEANS OF ACHIEVING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REGENERATION, SUCH THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEANS DEVELOPMENT WHICH MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS.