Over the last decade, the drylands of the greater Horn of Africa (HoA) have been affected by repeated drought-related disasters. The most recent drought crisis in 2010-2011 has generated a major reconsideration about how development and humanitarian actions can be better coordinated so as to minimize the impacts of shocks such as drought on lives and livelihoods. In this context, the term ‘resilience’ has gained much traction amongst Governments and other agencies working in the region. This is largely perceived as a positive step, since it helps fill in the gaps of traditional risk and vulnerability oriented approaches, extending their focus to potentials, opportunities and capacities of disaster-prone populations to cope with inevitable future shocks and stresses.