As Somaliland welcomed Israel’s recognition of the self-declared republic last week, a long-standing medical relationship between the two sides came into sharper focus.
For more than two decades, the Israeli NGO Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) has provided cardiac care to children from Somaliland, bringing patients to Israel for surgery at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon. Since 2004, the organization has treated 49 children from Somaliland, including 19 in 2025 and 20 in 2024, according to figures from SACH.
The connection predates formal diplomatic ties. In 2004, a Somaliland diplomat stationed in Ethiopia sought urgent medical treatment for his child, who was suffering from a life-threatening heart condition. Through contacts at the Israeli embassy, the family was referred to Save a Child’s Heart, which arranged for surgery in Israel. The child survived, though the diplomat was later dismissed from his post after visiting Israel.
Simon Fisher, executive director of Save a Child’s Heart, said the case marked the organization’s first involvement with Somaliland.
“At the time, it was the first time I had heard of Somaliland,” Fisher said. “The diplomat spoke about his hope for future relations between the two sides.”
Since then, referrals have continued through medical professionals and partner institutions in the region. One recent patient, Isra, a five-year-old girl from Somaliland, arrived in Israel in January with two congenital heart defects and underwent open-heart surgery at Israel's Wolfson Medical Center. She later received additional treatment for vision problems, according to the organization.
Doctors involved in the program said children from Somaliland are treated alongside patients from dozens of other countries.
“We provide the same level of care to all patients, regardless of where they come from,” said Dr. Alona Raucher Sternfeld, director of pediatric cardiology at Save a Child’s Heart.
Dr. Sagi Assa, senior pediatric cardiologist and head of the interventional pediatric cardiology unit, said cultural and language differences rarely pose obstacles. “Once treatment begins, the focus is entirely on the child’s medical needs,” he said.
The collaboration expanded in 2012, when two children from Somaliland were brought to Israel with the assistance of Dr. Matthew Jones, an American physician working in the region, and Dr. Omar Dihoud, a senior adviser to the Somaliland president. Dihoud died in 2015, but contacts he helped establish remained active.
A further expansion followed in 2021, when Dr. Adam Lee Goldstein, head of trauma surgery at Wolfson Medical Center, visited the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa. The hospital was founded by Edna Adan Ismail, a former Somaliland foreign minister and first lady. During the visit, Goldstein met adults who had undergone heart surgery through Save a Child’s Heart years earlier, leading to renewed cooperation.
Israel's recognition of Somaliland
Israel announced its recognition of Somaliland on December 27. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would pursue cooperation with Somaliland in areas including health, agriculture, technology, and the economy. In a phone call shared publicly, Netanyahu congratulated President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and invited him to visit Israel.
The Somaliland president said his government intended to join the Abraham Accords, the US-brokered framework for normalization between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority states.
Save a Child’s Heart, founded in 1995, has treated more than 8,000 children from 75 countries, according to the organization. While the group describes its work as non-political, its long-running involvement in Somaliland reflects ties that predate formal diplomatic recognition.