Puntland Context
Somalia has some of the lowest development and humanitarian indicators in the world, and inequalities across different social groups are a major driver of conflict. The absence of central governance during the civil war has seen the northern part of Somalia split into autonomous and semi-autonomous regions: the internationally unrecognized autonomous state of Somaliland and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. Puntland has been relatively stable over the last decade, thereby allowing for a stronger emphasis on building governance and rule of law, as well as enabling it to establish political and administrative institutions. The Puntland state of Somalia had managed to undertake a democratic transfer of political power and is characterized by an administration dedicated to the provision of critical basic social services, presence of an active civil society, and a growing private enterprise community.