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A round-up of activities of the UN system in Somalia in August 2021

29 August 2021

Highlights from some of the UN in Somalia's work in August 2021.

		People Trafficking \| UNODC helps train Somali state attorneys with prosecuting people traffickers Eight Somali prosecutors received training from UNODC and the Attorney General’s Office on international cooperation in the prosecution of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Mogadishu in early August. The training is part of UNODC’s Better Migration Management programme, funded by the European Union Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. https://twitter.com/UNODC_EA/status/1422131153524383746
		Peace and Poetry \| UNDP supports development of Somali poetry for peace and human rights UNDP supported the creation of the Somali Poetry Association to hold annual Somali Poetry Awards, manage a digital Somali Poetry Archive, publish an online magazine and run special programmes using poetry to advocate for peace, unity and human rights. https://www.hoygamaansada.com
		Mine Action \| UNMAS Somalia celebrated International Youth Day UNMAS marked International Youth Day by highlighting the involvement of youth in the mine action sector. In Somalia, young people have an active role in delivering messages related to explosive ordnance risk education and contributing to clearance activities. UNMAS states that incorporating the country's youth empowers them to lead initiatives that enhance the safety and security of their communities. https://bit.ly/3BofDrk
		Finance \| UNIDO provides access to finance for small businesses in Belet Weyne With funding from various partners, UNIDO established a credit facility to ensure access to finance for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in Belet Weyne, with support from the Hiran Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Enterprise Development Unit (EDU). More than 60 SMEs from Belet Weyne have completed the training of entrepreneurs course and 18 SMEs have received business counselling services since the establishment of the EDU there. Of the trained SMEs, 13 SME projects, including three which are led by women, have received loans amounting to $100,000 to expand existing businesses or to support start-ups in the city. The main goal of the credit facility is to increase the numbers of micro-, small- and medium--sized enterprises having access to sustainable financial solutions and to support the development of the productive sectors in Somalia. The funding partners are the UNDP Peacebuilding Fund, the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. https://www.unido.org
		UN Security Council \| UN Special Representative James Swan briefs Security Council on Somalia The Secretary General’s Special Representative to Somalia, James Swan, briefed the UN Security Council on recent developments in Somalia. In his remarks, Mr. Swan reported on progress in the electoral process since the 27 May Agreement and noted the need for additional commitment from the country's leadership on areas of electoral security, securing the 30 per cent women quota and the inclusion of youth and marginalized communities in the electoral process. On security, the UN official noted that election security was key in countering threats posed by Al Shabaab. He also spoke of the alarming increases in sexual violence and violations against children being recorded in the country. https://unsom.unmissions.org/statement-special-representative-secretary-general-james-swan-security-council-situation-somalia-1
		COVID-19 \| UNICEF and WHO support Somalia to bolster COVID-19 vaccinations In August, Somalia received 410,400 doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines from the Governments of France and the United States through the COVAX facility. These dose donations are an urgent, short-term solution to improving equitable and fair access to safe and affordable COVID-19 vaccines. The new batch of vaccines will be critical in increasing the number of people vaccinated, particularly the frontlines workers and the most vulnerable members of the community. When these groups are vaccinated, health and other essential services will continue to function and deaths among people at risk can be prevented, UNICEF added. https://www.unicef.org/somalia/stories/more-lifesaving-covid-19-vaccines...
		COVID-19 \| WHO provides technical and operational support to mitigate virus spread WHO continued to provide technical and operational support to the Government of Somalia to respond to COVID-19 at national and state levels, in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Since the beginning of the outbreak, a total of 241,063 suspected cases were investigated and tested, of which 15,490 cases confirmed and 812 associated deaths have been recorded across the country. http://www.emro.who.int/somalia/donors-partners/index.html
		Local Revenue \| UN-Habitat-supported mobile taxation system expanded to four districts in Puntland The mobile phone-based tax payment system in Garowe – supported by UN-Habitat through the Joint Programme on Local Governance – is being expanded to four more districts in Puntland in northern Somalia. The local government of Garowe has recorded a three-time increase in local revenue, mainly from properties, business and public transport taxation. The digital tax payment system has improved Garowe’s daily service delivery and narrowed the gap between financial resources and municipal spending needs, as well as improved public trust through transparency and accountability. https://unhabitat.org/mobile-taxation-expanded-to-four-districts-of-somalia-after-a-successful-pilot
		Agriculture \| FAO provides wide-ranging support to vulnerable households FAO has provided cash, livestock and agriculture packages to cushion vulnerable households from the desert locust invasion in Somalia which has significantly affected the country’s food security. Successive generations of swarms have destroyed vital crops and pastures. The gravity of the situation has been compounded by floods, cyclones, droughts and the emerging socio-economic impact of coronavirus disease 2019. http://www.fao.org/emergencies/fao-in-action/stories/stories-detail/en/c/1419007
		Humanitarian \| OCHA supports Somali observance of World Humanitarian Day OCHA facilitated the commemoration of World Humanitarian Day, marked on 19 August, across Somalia’s different states under the theme of 'Human Race.' As part of the observance, the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency (HADMA) gave an update on the current humanitarian. In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, said that Somalia is a prime example of how the climate emergency disproportionally impacts the most vulnerable, despite the fact that they contribute to it the least. https://www.unocha.org/somalia
		People with disabilities \| IOM supports efforts to include people with disabilities in Somalia's election process IOM organized a consultation meeting in Mogadishu which aimed to support the full inclusion of people living with disabilities into Somalia’s democratic processes. The consultation, led by the Federal Elections Implementation Team (FEIT) and the Federal Government of Somalia, brought together 23 representatives of the disabled community from different parts of the country to discuss their participation in Somalia’s upcoming elections. The event contributed to IOM efforts to ensure the voices of the most marginalized groups are heard as the country moves towards a more inclusive society. https://www.iom.int/countries/somalia
		Shelter \| UNHCR hands over Girible Integrated Shelter Project As part of finding a lasting solution to the protracted displacement crisis in Puntland, UNHCR, in collaboration with the Puntland government, handed over the Girible Integrated Shelter Project which is located on the outskirts of Bossaso town. The UNHCR-funded project sits on a vast piece of land donated by the Puntland government and was implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council through an owner-driven approach. The project targeted displaced families, returnees and vulnerable members of the host community. It consists of close to 300 permanent shelters, a community shelter, police post, water reservoir, water kiosks, latrines and streetlights. https://www.unhcr.org/somalia.html
		Sustainable Nutrition \| WFP strengthens communities to be sustainable and self-reliant in the face of shocks WFP is working with communities in Somalia to strengthen their livelihoods, so that people initially dependent on humanitarian food or nutrition support can move to sustainable, self-reliant resilience in the face of shocks. From 2019 to 2020, more than 1,500 people in Gedo who had moved out of acute malnutrition status with WFP nutrition support were referred to livelihoods programmes in large, well-irrigated vegetable gardens, backed by funding from Germany. Currently, these families are producing enough fruit and vegetables not only to eat, but also to sell surplus at local markets. WFP states that this will help them sustain healthy, nutritious diets with the food they grow or buy themselves, helping to prevent a relapse into malnutrition and reducing their need for humanitarian aid. https://twitter.com/WFPSomalia
		COVID-19 \| UNFPA supports pregnant women and new mothers who test positive for COVID-19 UNFPA is providing special care to pregnant women and new mothers who test positive COVID-19 at the De Martino Hospital in Mogadishu, as part of its efforts to ensure life-saving care to mothers with pregnancy-related complications who test positive for COVID-19. https://somalia.

UN entities involved in this initiative

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

IOM

International Organization for Migration

OCHA

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UN-Habitat

United Nations Human Settlements Programme

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNFPA

United Nations Population Fund

UNHCR

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF

United Nations Children’s Fund

UNIDO

United Nations Industrial Development Organization

UNODC

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNSOM

United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia

WFP

World Food Programme

WHO

World Health Organization

Goals we are supporting through this initiative

		People Trafficking \| UNODC helps train Somali state attorneys with prosecuting people traffickers Eight Somali prosecutors received training from UNODC and the Attorney General’s Office on international cooperation in the prosecution of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants in Mogadishu in early August. The training is part of UNODC’s Better Migration Management programme, funded by the European Union Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. https://twitter.com/UNODC_EA/status/1422131153524383746
		Peace and Poetry \| UNDP supports development of Somali poetry for peace and human rights UNDP supported the creation of the Somali Poetry Association to hold annual Somali Poetry Awards, manage a digital Somali Poetry Archive, publish an online magazine and run special programmes using poetry to advocate for peace, unity and human rights. https://www.hoygamaansada.com
		Mine Action \| UNMAS Somalia celebrated International Youth Day UNMAS marked International Youth Day by highlighting the involvement of youth in the mine action sector. In Somalia, young people have an active role in delivering messages related to explosive ordnance risk education and contributing to clearance activities. UNMAS states that incorporating the country's youth empowers them to lead initiatives that enhance the safety and security of their communities. https://bit.ly/3BofDrk
		Finance \| UNIDO provides access to finance for small businesses in Belet Weyne With funding from various partners, UNIDO established a credit facility to ensure access to finance for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in Belet Weyne, with support from the Hiran Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Enterprise Development Unit (EDU). More than 60 SMEs from Belet Weyne have completed the training of entrepreneurs course and 18 SMEs have received business counselling services since the establishment of the EDU there. Of the trained SMEs, 13 SME projects, including three which are led by women, have received loans amounting to $100,000 to expand existing businesses or to support start-ups in the city. The main goal of the credit facility is to increase the numbers of micro-, small- and medium--sized enterprises having access to sustainable financial solutions and to support the development of the productive sectors in Somalia. The funding partners are the UNDP Peacebuilding Fund, the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. https://www.unido.org
		UN Security Council \| UN Special Representative James Swan briefs Security Council on Somalia The Secretary General’s Special Representative to Somalia, James Swan, briefed the UN Security Council on recent developments in Somalia. In his remarks, Mr. Swan reported on progress in the electoral process since the 27 May Agreement and noted the need for additional commitment from the country's leadership on areas of electoral security, securing the 30 per cent women quota and the inclusion of youth and marginalized communities in the electoral process. On security, the UN official noted that election security was key in countering threats posed by Al Shabaab. He also spoke of the alarming increases in sexual violence and violations against children being recorded in the country. https://unsom.unmissions.org/statement-special-representative-secretary-general-james-swan-security-council-situation-somalia-1
		COVID-19 \| UNICEF and WHO support Somalia to bolster COVID-19 vaccinations In August, Somalia received 410,400 doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines from the Governments of France and the United States through the COVAX facility. These dose donations are an urgent, short-term solution to improving equitable and fair access to safe and affordable COVID-19 vaccines. The new batch of vaccines will be critical in increasing the number of people vaccinated, particularly the frontlines workers and the most vulnerable members of the community. When these groups are vaccinated, health and other essential services will continue to function and deaths among people at risk can be prevented, UNICEF added. https://www.unicef.org/somalia/stories/more-lifesaving-covid-19-vaccines...
		COVID-19 \| WHO provides technical and operational support to mitigate virus spread WHO continued to provide technical and operational support to the Government of Somalia to respond to COVID-19 at national and state levels, in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Since the beginning of the outbreak, a total of 241,063 suspected cases were investigated and tested, of which 15,490 cases confirmed and 812 associated deaths have been recorded across the country. http://www.emro.who.int/somalia/donors-partners/index.html
		Local Revenue \| UN-Habitat-supported mobile taxation system expanded to four districts in Puntland The mobile phone-based tax payment system in Garowe – supported by UN-Habitat through the Joint Programme on Local Governance – is being expanded to four more districts in Puntland in northern Somalia. The local government of Garowe has recorded a three-time increase in local revenue, mainly from properties, business and public transport taxation. The digital tax payment system has improved Garowe’s daily service delivery and narrowed the gap between financial resources and municipal spending needs, as well as improved public trust through transparency and accountability. https://unhabitat.org/mobile-taxation-expanded-to-four-districts-of-somalia-after-a-successful-pilot
		Agriculture \| FAO provides wide-ranging support to vulnerable households FAO has provided cash, livestock and agriculture packages to cushion vulnerable households from the desert locust invasion in Somalia which has significantly affected the country’s food security. Successive generations of swarms have destroyed vital crops and pastures. The gravity of the situation has been compounded by floods, cyclones, droughts and the emerging socio-economic impact of coronavirus disease 2019. http://www.fao.org/emergencies/fao-in-action/stories/stories-detail/en/c/1419007
		Humanitarian \| OCHA supports Somali observance of World Humanitarian Day OCHA facilitated the commemoration of World Humanitarian Day, marked on 19 August, across Somalia’s different states under the theme of 'Human Race.' As part of the observance, the Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Agency (HADMA) gave an update on the current humanitarian. In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, said that Somalia is a prime example of how the climate emergency disproportionally impacts the most vulnerable, despite the fact that they contribute to it the least. https://www.unocha.org/somalia
		People with disabilities \| IOM supports efforts to include people with disabilities in Somalia's election process IOM organized a consultation meeting in Mogadishu which aimed to support the full inclusion of people living with disabilities into Somalia’s democratic processes. The consultation, led by the Federal Elections Implementation Team (FEIT) and the Federal Government of Somalia, brought together 23 representatives of the disabled community from different parts of the country to discuss their participation in Somalia’s upcoming elections. The event contributed to IOM efforts to ensure the voices of the most marginalized groups are heard as the country moves towards a more inclusive society. https://www.iom.int/countries/somalia
		Shelter \| UNHCR hands over Girible Integrated Shelter Project As part of finding a lasting solution to the protracted displacement crisis in Puntland, UNHCR, in collaboration with the Puntland government, handed over the Girible Integrated Shelter Project which is located on the outskirts of Bossaso town. The UNHCR-funded project sits on a vast piece of land donated by the Puntland government and was implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council through an owner-driven approach. The project targeted displaced families, returnees and vulnerable members of the host community. It consists of close to 300 permanent shelters, a community shelter, police post, water reservoir, water kiosks, latrines and streetlights. https://www.unhcr.org/somalia.html
		Sustainable Nutrition \| WFP strengthens communities to be sustainable and self-reliant in the face of shocks WFP is working with communities in Somalia to strengthen their livelihoods, so that people initially dependent on humanitarian food or nutrition support can move to sustainable, self-reliant resilience in the face of shocks. From 2019 to 2020, more than 1,500 people in Gedo who had moved out of acute malnutrition status with WFP nutrition support were referred to livelihoods programmes in large, well-irrigated vegetable gardens, backed by funding from Germany. Currently, these families are producing enough fruit and vegetables not only to eat, but also to sell surplus at local markets. WFP states that this will help them sustain healthy, nutritious diets with the food they grow or buy themselves, helping to prevent a relapse into malnutrition and reducing their need for humanitarian aid. https://twitter.com/WFPSomalia
		COVID-19 \| UNFPA supports pregnant women and new mothers who test positive for COVID-19 UNFPA is providing special care to pregnant women and new mothers who test positive COVID-19 at the De Martino Hospital in Mogadishu, as part of its efforts to ensure life-saving care to mothers with pregnancy-related complications who test positive for COVID-19. https://somalia.