Latest
Story
23 January 2023
Alternative basic education programme rekindles learning opportunities
Learn more
Story
09 January 2023
New shipment of medicine and medical supplies arrives in Somalia
Learn more
Press Release
01 January 2023
International partners call for calm and restraint in Laascaanood
Learn more
Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Somalia
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Somalia:
Story
08 November 2022
Children access education for the first time in their lives at UNICEF supported schools in Somalia
Baidoa, Somalia: The chorus of young voices rises in cadence, a sweet melody of six dozen children, singing the letters of the Somali alphabet – that they just mastered one week ago.
Standing before the blackboard and leading this rustic symphony at the Mustaqbal Integrated Primary School is a shy 10-year-old girl named Farhia Abdi Moallim.
“I am so happy to learn,” says little Farhia, “I want to be a teacher when I grow big, so I can teach children in my village who cannot go to school.”
Her eyes twinkle with glee, radiant under the all-black abaya robe that covers her whole body, leaving only her face exposed, glowing like the hopeful and happy sun after a dark summer storm.
This a hopeful beginning because all the children sitting on the benches behind her, had never seen the inside of a classroom until four weeks ago.
An ongoing drought has ravaged Somalia for the last four years, drying water-wells, killing crops and livestock, and displacing more than a million people to urban centres like Baidoa in South-West Somalia; where they live in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), surviving just on humanitarian aid.
This is on top of the 2 million people displaced by the conflict that has battered Somalia for more than three decades; and also includes IDPs from the famine of 2011 and the drought in 2017.
All these factors have had devastating consequences for the children of Somalia. It heightens the learning crisis in a country with more than 3 million children who were not in school, even before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Alongside other humanitarian interventions, UNICEF and education partners are working with the Ministry of Education to provide learning opportunities for children displaced by drought and conflict.
UNICEF/Giri
13-year-old Abduwali says he knows all the alphabets.
In another classrooms at the end of the same one-roofed structure, we meet 13-year-old Abduwali Derow Aden. He walked for two days with his parents and six siblings to Baidoa and has been attending Grade 1 since the school reopened six weeks ago.
“I know all the alphabets now,” he says proudly, a big smile on his face. “I like learning mathematics and I like my school.”
At the Mustaqbal Integrated Primary School, UNICEF is working with local partners to increase the capacity of the school to handle the influx of new children.
UNICEF/Giri
Principal Habiba says they will teach all the children who come to their school.
“We have more than 1,500 students, and we are receiving 3 to 5 new students every day,” says Habiba Ibrahim Aden, the Principal and one of the founding members of tiny primary school.
Rows of boys and girls squat on the floor just outside the classrooms, a patient look on their faces. “These are children who have just arrived in the last week. Although we have no space, we cannot turn them away - we will teach them in shifts,” she says.
Established seven years ago, this school has expanded rapidly in the last two years, with children of IDPs who have converged on Baidoa to escape the conflict and drought.
UNICEF is supporting the school through education partners to ensure that all children receive basic education. This support includes teacher training, provision of furniture and teaching materials, and financial incentives for teachers.
With funding from the GPE Accelerated Learning Programme, UNICEF and World Food Programme (WFP) are also supporting a school feeding programme, whereby children receive two meals a day.
UNICEF/Giri
Fatuma says she likes learning about science.
“I like my school and I want to learn,” says 12-year-old Fatuma Noor, another girl in Grade 1. “I have made many friends here, and science is my favourite subject.”
To handle the large number of students, the schools operate in two shifts: one from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, and the afternoon shift from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Habiba the principal, says that none of the children leave school before the end of the school day. “The children enjoy coming to school, and thanks to our donors we provide them with meals, and they are more focussed in the classroom,” says Habiba.
As part of the response to the ongoing drought in Somalia, UN partners including UNICEF and other NGOs are accelerating delivery of humanitarian supplies and services including food and shelter, health, nutrition, and water and sanitation to mitigate the worst of this climate induced disaster.
Providing these children an opportunity to learn is a major concern for UNICEF. Alongside the existing support from the Global Partnership for Education, UNICEF will also roll out an Education in Emergencies programme in Baidoa soon, specifically targeted at children of IDPs.
Link to the original story.
1 of 3

Take Action
03 August 2020
Visit our COVID-19 Data Portal
Find out what the UN in Somalia is doing in response to the COVID-19 health emergency.
1 of 3

Story
23 December 2021
Somalia is on the path of recovery, but real challenges remain
I arrived in Somalia in September 2019, two decades after having worked here previously. I knew that I was taking up a challenging assignment, but I was also looking forward to seeing Somalia’s progress. Afflicted by decades of conflict, recurrent climatic shocks, disease outbreaks and poverty, Somalia was often called a ‘failed state.’ The narrative is now changing, and although fragile, Somalia is on a path to stability and the resilience of the Somali people is second to none. That said, we are not under any illusion: significant challenges remain, and we must work even harder to preserve the gains made to date. Somalia’s upward trajectory is evident in the construction boom, as one analyst noted -- the sound of the hammer is replacing the sound of gunfire in Somalia’s capital.
The UN has been closely supporting the Somali people since the birth of the Republic in 1960. Currently, the UN's various mandates are implemented through 26 Agencies, Funds and Programmes (both resident and non-resident), one political mission (UNSOM) and one logistical support mission (UNSOS). The UN’s commitment towards the Somali cause is articulated in detail in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2021-2025), mirroring the priorities of Somalia’s Ninth National Development Plan (NDP-9).
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN marshalled support to help the Somali government respond to the virus outbreak. We continue to support the Somali authorities in seeking to defeat this pandemic and encouraging people to get vaccinated. Elections are also on-going in Somalia. The UN is supporting the process to ensure that elections are held in a peaceful and transparent manner, while at the same time advocating for 30 per cent women’s quota in the Somali legislature.
While these are encouraging signs of progress, we must not forget Somalia’s long-standing challenges. According to UN’s projections for next year, an estimated 7.7 million Somalis (nearly half of the country’s population) will require humanitarian assistance and protection. Women and children continue to bear the brunt of Somalia’s complex humanitarian crises, especially among the internally displaced communities. In light of the current serious droughts, the Somali government declared a humanitarian state of emergency on 23 November. Yet, neither the government nor the humanitarian community has adequate resources to respond. With a few days remaining in the year, the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan which seeks US$1.09 billion remains only 70 per cent funded. Additional resources are urgently needed to prevent the dire humanitarian situation from becoming a catastrophe, so we continue to engage partners on this subject. In this regard, I undertook missions to Europe in October and to the Gulf in September. Throughout my interactions with partners, I stressed the need for additional funding to address Somalia’s escalating humanitarian crisis and elaborated on how inaction not only risks a reversal of the gains but puts the lives of millions of Somalis in jeopardy.
Through my field visits in Somalia, I have also seen first-hand the grim realities of adverse climate conditions. Somalia is no doubt on the frontline of climate change. The recurrent droughts and floods are driving widespread displacement, rapid urbanization, hunger, malnutrition and poverty. Climate change is also increasingly seen as the driver of conflict and a threat to the country’s security as the struggle over meagre resources deepens divisions. In addition, the loss of traditional livelihoods makes people vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups such as Al-Shabaab. Somalia is currently experiencing a third consecutive season of below-average rainfall, with nearly 80 per cent of the country experiencing drought conditions, water shortages and livestock deaths. One in five Somalis does not have enough water to cover his/her basic needs. On a positive note, as part of the efforts to mitigate the climate emergency, the government, with the support of the United Nations, has recently adopted an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution to achieve global climate targets, in which Somalia committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
Somalia’s crises are multifaceted, and they require comprehensive solutions from all stakeholders. It is our collective responsibility to support the efforts of the Somali people to cope with these crises and find lasting solutions that build resilience against future shocks. We must not fail the people we pledged to serve.
Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, held a press conference on Monday, 20 December on the situation in Somalia, where the UN and partners is launching a nearly $1.5 billion Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). Roughly 7.7 million people in the country will need assistance and protection in 2022, a 30 per cent rise in just one year.
Written by Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia
1 of 3

Story
26 January 2023
Alternative basic education programme rekindles learning opportunities
In the Hiran region of Southern Somalia, conflict makes it difficult for people to access enough food. This, coupled with a severe drought, has made life extremely difficult for many families. Nasro Cali Ibrahim, a 9-year-old girl, is one such individual affected by these harsh conditions in Beletweyne. She and her family were forced to flee their village of Sigalow due to conflict. This displacement has made it difficult for Nasro to attend school.
Making matters worse, Nasro lost her father to an illness that could have been treated if medical care had been more readily available. Nasro also contracted polio when she was a baby. Her mother, Mako Mukhtar, was unable to get medical care for her daughter, and as a result, Nasro become paralyzed from the waist down. Despite her disability, she is able to express herself and use her hands. The lack of basic needs like food and medical care, coupled with the loss of her father, has made life extremely difficult for Nasro.
“She was not born with the disability,” Mako says. “This issue started when she was six months old. The girl got very sick, and we had just lost her father.” Mako could neither access nor afford quality medical care for her daughter, and so with no one to assist her or turn to, she found herself even lacking basic nutrition.
UNICEFSomalia/Hassan
Nasro in school with classmates and her teacher.
“Having been displaced from their village, they were saved and taken to the Wabi Shabelle internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Beletweyne district,” the teacher said. “This place is safer and with a closer learning center, making it a haven for Nasro. She is very delighted because the school she attends is within the IDP camp.”
Nasro’s eyes beam with hope as the teachers says, “She is happy her future looks bright. She is bright too. Back in her village before the conflict, she could not attend school. There are no special schools for the disabled.”
UNICEF, supported by European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), has assisted the Hiran Regional Education Committee (HREC) to construct user friendly toilets and classrooms for persons with special needs, fitted with ramps and handrails. HREC also provided Nasro with all learning materials and enrolled her in Level 1 of the current Alternative Basic Education (ABE) programme at the Wabi Shabelle IDP School.
“I hope to study until the university level. I will work very hard to fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor. I want to be able to help other children not to become disabled like me and also those who have become disabled due to lack of medical services or lack financial support,” Nasro says.
She continues to receive school supplies, such as books, pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners through the education drought response program by the UNICEF. Nasro is grateful for the support of her teachers, who are well-trained and have been of great help to her. She is eager to learn how to read and write in Somali and is working hard to make her dream of becoming a doctor a reality.
UNICEFSomalia/Hassan
Nasro answering a question on the chalkboard.
Link to the original story.
1 of 5

Story
16 January 2023
New shipment of medicine and medical supplies arrives in Somalia
Somalia is facing a historic drought that is affecting 8.3 million people across the country, particularly children and women. To help address this crisis, UNICEF Somalia has received a shipment of approximately 30 metric tons of medicine and medical supplies from the UNICEF Supply Division in Copenhagen. These supplies will be used to support lifesaving health services in the most affected areas.
UNICEF Somalia/Hirsi
UNICEF Somalia team receive the shipment of medicine and medical supplies.
At the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, the shipment was received by Dr. Maryan Mohammed Hussein, State Minister of Health, and Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Somalia Representative.
"The arrival of this shipment is critical for Somali children and families who are facing significant challenges due to the drought and associated outbreaks of cholera and measles," said Wafaa Saeed.
Children and women make up over 80% of Somalia's displaced population, and children are among the most severely affected, with 5.1 million in need of humanitarian assistance. These challenges are compounded by outbreaks of cholera and measles, which further increase vulnerability. By providing essential medicines, midwifery kits and other medical supplies, UNICEF and its partners will be able to reach approximately 1.3 million people in need and ensure that they have access to lifesaving health services.
Dr. Maryan Mohammed Hussein expressed the government's appreciation for UNICEF's continuous efforts to save the lives of children impacted by the drought. "This medical supply kit consists of medicines and supplies for mothers and childcare and emergency kits to reach drought-affected areas. It is meant to support our Somali people in need of humanitarian assistance," she said.
UNICEF Somalia/Hirsi
Medicine and medical supplies arrival.
UNICEF is working with the Government of Somalia and implementing partners to target famine-risk districts that are particularly vulnerable as many children, mothers, and people with illnesses or malnutrition in these areas may be unable to access healthcare. UNICEF's top priority is to sustain a robust response to this crisis and provide an integrated package of services, including lifesaving health care, immunizations, treatment for severe acute malnutrition and access to safe and adequate water and sanitation to the most vulnerable children.
"This shipment of medicine and medical supplies is in addition to our ongoing efforts to respond to the drought and provide necessary assistance to those in need," said Saeed.
Thanks to the generous support of donors like the UK Government (FCDO) and USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), this shipment of medicine and medical supplies will help to ensure that vulnerable children and their communities in hard-to-reach areas have access to essential healthcare services during this critical time.
Link to the original story.
1 of 5

Story
15 January 2023
A round-up of activities of the UN system in Somalia in December 2022
Economy and private sector | UNIDO supports study tours for Somali companies and officials
Officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) travelled to Italy, supported by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), to meet their European counterparts, including business associations, financial institutions, and the Italian Trade Agency.
Separately, a group of Somali entrepreneurs participated in a two-day off-grid renewable energy systems exhibition in Germany, which focused on wind and hydropower systems. This was an opportunity to source clean and cheap energy. Furthermore, the Somali entrepreneurs toured a dairy/biogas farm and companies providing cooling solutions for the fishery, drip irrigation, water pumps and borehole drilling. Most importantly, the Somali companies engaged with their German counterparts in B2B, which allowed for knowledge exchange while talks were ongoing for possible technology sourcing.
Click here for more
Humanitarian | OCHA facilitates humanitarian visit to Galkayo
In December, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitated the visit of the Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA Head of Office to Galkayo to assess the humanitarian situation and the ongoing response.
The mission met with partners, authorities and people affected by the drought in Degaab and Ayah displacement sites in north and south Galkayo and discussed collective efforts to ramp up operations urgently. Partners informed the Humanitarian Coordinator that frontloaded funding is critical as the country enters the dry Jilaal season in January when humanitarian needs are expected to increase. More than 180,000 people are displaced in this area due to drought and ongoing conflict.
Click here for more
International Cooperation | UN at high-level conference on climate resiience
On 6 December, the Federal Government of Somalia, the United Nations, and the League of Arab States (LAS) co-hosted a high-level conference on drought and climate resilience in Somalia. Held in Cairo, Egypt, the conference brought together United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes, LAS member states, Arab NGOs, and financial institutions to respond to Somalia’s dire humanitarian conditions and climate projections. The conference focused on emergency life-saving needs and medium- and longer-term sustainability to help break the cycle of recurrent crises.
Click here for more
Maternal health | UNFPA supports 136 midwifery graduates
On 11 December, 136 midwives from schools supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Global Canada Affairs graduated in Mogadishu. On this day, a new midwifery curriculum for Somalia was also launched.
During this time of drought in Somalia, there is an increasing need for life-saving healthcare services, especially for pregnant women and mothers.
Qualified midwives provide critical quality maternal healthcare before, after, and during pregnancy and save the lives of women and children.
UNFPA continues supporting midwives and the midwifery profession in Somalia to ensure better health for all.
Click here for more
Health care | UNOPS facilitates the first National Blood Bank
Somalia’s blood shortages and storage capacity make safe blood supply and transfusions difficult.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is helping Somalia build its first fully functional National Blood Bank to address this problem. UNOPS is designing, building, and equipping the National Blood Bank with more than $3 million from UNFPA and technical help from WHO.
The blood bank in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, will help secure and maintain a safe and sufficient blood supply.
Green technologies and sustainable ideas are being integrated into the building. Solar panels will supply the facility with clean energy. UNOPS is also collaborating with a local construction company to create jobs.
Gender and culture are taken into account when designing the blood bank. It will have separate blood donation areas for men and women, donor lounges, changing rooms, and bathrooms.
Click here for more
Youth | UN-Habitat to construct a youth centre in Baidoa
UN-Habitat held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a youth centre in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia.
One-stop youth centres are the result of a partnership between UN-Habitat and local governments. They operate on a principle of an integrated approach to youth development, providing youth with safe spaces in urban settings where they can meet and access information and resources critical to youth-led development, including peacebuilding, research, and policy development. The government of Sweden funds this initiative.
Click here for more
Durable solutions | UNHCR hands over 88 transitional shelters in Dollow
In Dollow, Ladaan, internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, southern Somalia, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) handed over 88 emergency transitional shelters to vulnerable displaced families. The project is implemented by UNHCR partner African Volunteers for Relief and Development (AVORD).
As the effects of climate change, persistent insecurity, armed conflict, extreme poverty, and soaring food prices intensify, the resilience of the displaced families erodes, increasing their vulnerability to shocks.
UNHCR will continue providing life-saving assistance and durable solutions such as transitional shelters to those in most need across Somalia.
Click here for more
Prison reform | UNODC supports prison system’s compliance with human rights
In December, as part of its mandate to assist Somalia’s prison system compliance with human rights and UN standards, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) supported the development of the Parole Policy in Hargeisa, the rehabilitation works in the Berbera Central Prison and vocational training for female prisoners in Gabiley. UNODC also facilitated visits to the Garowe Central Prison and the Mogadishu Prison and Court Complex, where the International Monitoring Committee assessed the prisoners’ living conditions.
Click here for more
Migration | IOM supports photography exhibitions in Hargeisa
A one-week photo exhibition titled ‘Where life takes us’ welcomed viewers in Hargeisa around the International Migrants Day celebrated on 18 December. The exhibition featured stories of migrants and returnees across the Horn of Africa region. The photography exhibition aimed to inform the public about the challenges that push people to move to the Horn of Africa whilst highlighting the unique role that migrants play in social and economic development. The stories, collected across three years with the support of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), also offered a window into the migration dynamics in the region. As part of the exhibition, IOM also hosted a one-day storytelling workshop with returnees and students from Hargeisa University to foster cohesion through participatory exercises to provide them with a space to express their thoughts and feelings about migration in a safe manner.
Click here for more
Emergency | FAO supports hard-to-reach rural communities with cash
In Somalia, communities in hard-to-reach rural areas suffer the brunt of natural shocks such as droughts. Interventions are scarce in these areas forcing the communities to migrate to urban centres, hoping to receive aid or find ways to sustain themselves.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Kingdom supported thousands of vulnerable families with emergency cash transfers, targeted at some of the hardest hit and most difficult-to-access areas of Southern Somalia, such as Beletweyne, Afgoye and Xurdur districts.
“This drought is a long one. It has affected our livelihoods enormously, and some of the people in the village fled to urban centres,” said Amina Mohamed from Qoydo village, Beletweyne, one of the vulnerable community members who received the unconditional cash transfer under this project.
Click here for more
16-Days of Activism | UN Women advocate against gender-based violence
UN Women Somalia spearheaded the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign under the theme “Unite to end violence against women and girls” to strengthen and galvanise gender mainstreaming in Somalia. This year, during the campaign, men and women championing women’s rights have committed to increasing advocacy efforts to prevent violence against women and girls.
UN Women Somalia supported businesswomen and owners of small businesses such as restaurants, handicrafts and tailoring by giving them a platform to exhibit their products and skills and meet and showcase their ideas with the international community.√
Click here for more
Vaccinations | UNICEF vaccination campaign reached 3 million children
In November, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) conducted an integrated nationwide campaign that resulted in vaccinating over 2.3 million children aged 6 – 59 months against measles to prevent disease outbreaks that are more frequent during droughts such as Somalia is experiencing. During the 5-day campaign, 2.6 million children received vaccinations against polio, vitamin A supplementation and deworming medication.
The campaign comes against a backdrop of drastically increased measles cases in 2022 (16,880) compared to 2021 (7,494). For the November campaign, UNICEF delivered over 3.5 million doses of measles and polio vaccines and over 3 million doses of vitamin A and deworming tablets while providing technical support to the Ministry of Health on cold chain and vaccine management. UNICEF also supported the social mobilisation network (SOMNET) to accelerate awareness of the campaign and increase vaccine uptake.
Click here for more
Human rights | UN observes Human Rights Day
In a statement marking the Human Rights Day 2022, the UN Deputy Special Representative, Anita Kiki Gbeho, said that Somalia has, and continues to make significant achievements to promote and protect human rights, including those rights enshrined in the Provisional Constitution, which guarantees rights and freedoms for all Somalis. The United Nations in Somalia remains committed to supporting Somalia’s efforts to promote and protect human rights for the benefit of the Somali people. Read the complete statement here.
As part of activities marking Human Rights Day, the Somali Youth Civic Organisation (SYCO) organised panel discussions in Mogadishu, Afgoye and Beledweyne. Supported by the UN, the events brought together some 150 women, men, elders, youth, persons with disabilities, minority groups and business community representatives who discussed critical challenges in promoting human rights in Somalia.
Participants highlighted the importance of finding ways to prevent human rights violations; they discussed the role of the government, civil society, and international bodies in improving the situation of human rights in Somalia.
Click here for more
1 of 5

Story
16 January 2023
Bees, tractors and entrepreneurs: Supporting economic resilience in Somalia
Belet Weyne – It is 6:00 a.m. and Mohamed Dhicis is up and ready for work. Dressed in a thick, white cotton canvas suit, which covers his entire body, he walks into the apiary housing tens of thousands of bees.
When he reaches the beehives, he kneels and remains in place, contemplating the swirling activity before him. After a few minutes, using a metal tool, the 19-year-old opens the top part of the first box. He delicately pulls out the honey-soaked net within, almost as if he were opening a box of chocolates. Immediately, the atmosphere is filled with a buzzing sound, and thousands of bees fly out and around the box. Some of them, as if stuck with glue, stay on the net, making honey.
This honey is what sustains the livelihoods of Mr. Dhicis and the four other beekeepers that work for him at the Dhicis Production Company, which he founded with the support and guidance of Somalia’s Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The support comes under the umbrella of UNIDO’s agro-technology project, which helps aspiring Somali businesspeople develop micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and increase their access to finance, and also provides institutional support to the MoCI.
The idea
In 2020, in his birth city of Belet Weyne, located in the Hiran region of central Somalia, Mr. Dhicis heard about a credit facility that UNIDO had established to help SMEs access financing. The facility was established in Belet Weyne through UNIDO’s Productive Sectors Development Joint Programme for Somalia. Mr. Dhicis had been working as a small-scale bee farmer. After learning about the programme and attending a two-week enterprise management training on how to start a business, he decided to jump straight in.
“I love honey, and I have a background in agricultural production,” he says. “So I said to myself: why not give it a try?”
After the training, he received business counselling from UNIDO that involved preparing his own business plan to start his honey-making business, which he presented to the credit facility. He then received $5,000 to help make his dream a reality. When Mr. Dhicis started in 2020, he had 25 beehives. Today, he has 100 and hopes to grow this number to 200.
Behind Mr. Dhicis’ bee business lies an EDU, or Enterprise Development Unit, that UNIDO helped established in Belet Weyne through the Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and with the financial support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. This EDU is one of an extensive network of EDUs established across Somalia, within the structure of the SCCI. EDUs provide a link between entrepreneurs and the private sector across the country’s Federal Member States, and help Somali entrepreneurs access investors, credit facilities, skills training and business counselling.
More than bees
Mr. Dhicis is not alone in benefitting from the EDU. He attended his UNIDO-supported business induction training in Belet Weyne with 64 other entrepreneurs, all of whom had existing businesses or start-up ideas. Of the 64, 13 SME projects received bank loans amounting to a combined total of $100,000. Three of them are led by women.
The possibility of financial support is just one factor. According to UNIDO, some of the Somali entrepreneurs are simply interested in understanding business management, learning more about inventories, or rethinking how to run their business through faster production, cost reductions, and other methods.
The two-week training programme provides the entrepreneurs with enough knowledge to establish a new business or expand an existing one. The training is followed by one-to-one business counselling offered by UNIDO-trained local experts.
The individual counselling programme consists of on-site advice and guidance to start-ups and existing enterprises. To existing business owners, this means better management skills, more control over their budgets and a capacity to diagnose business problems. To start-ups, it means reading the market, generating business ideas and knowing how to communicate these to investors.
“When you look at the early stages of an economy’s development, there are certain basic products that you need to have in order for society to live, work and eat. You also need the infrastructure to make the system work. And, in addition, you need capital investment to kickstart that development, which usually comes from the government. UNIDO has created the network, the system and the capacity for that investment to happen,” says Ygor Scarcia, an industrial development expert with UNIDO who also serves as its representative in Somalia.
Professor Cisse Halane is the SCCI’s Deputy Managing Director and is in charge of the network of EDUs. According to him, the network helps entrepreneurs receive loans that they will have to pay back – a key element that moves Somalia away from the traditional aid dilemma in which receivers do not have the incentive to make money, knowing that aid will be coming no matter what.
In addition to breaking the aid cycle, Professor Halane said: “That money coming back to the bank is then going to be given to another businessperson, leading to a ripple effect beneficial to Somalia’s economy.”
Business matchmaking
Part of the services provided through the EDUs involve technology promotion. The trainees are not considered to be beneficiaries, but rather business clients, ensuring the sustainability of the EDU network. Those who graduate from the training receive support with investments, business matchmaking and technology sourcing.
Amina-Gaalooge Osman, a 34-year-old entrepreneur, started an agricultural cooperative that used manual labour. Thanks to UNIDO’s help in connecting her to local banks and to Somali-Italian business firms, today Ms. Osman sells tractors imported from Italy to Somalia’s farmers. It is the first time in recent history that the farming business in Somalia has gained access to such modern agricultural machinery ― vital in propelling the economy.
“If you have the idea, they [UNIDO and the MoCI] will help you,” Ms. Osman says. “The real value comes when they connect you directly to international companies like the ones we are now dealing with. If you have an organization like UNIDO that can help you make that connection for you, that can help you with the credit facility, you have a way forward. You can basically make your dreams come true.”
From aid to development
Both UNIDO and the MoCI are investing in Somalia’s more traditional agro-industrial sectors, which the country relies on to create jobs and expand economic opportunities. Their overarching goal is to help Somalia develop its business sector and thus shift away from a heavy reliance on international aid for temporary relief. The key for making this happen? Partnerships.
“To me, aid is problematic. We have the land, we have the human capital, and we have the entrepreneurial spirit,” says Professor Halane. “Partnerships are the only way forward.”
UNIDO’s Somalia Productive Sectors Development Programme promotes interventions at the macro, meso and micro levels of the Somali economy to promote infrastructure investment and capital investment, stimulate sustainable production, avoiding post-harvest losses, developing markets access for an inclusive economic growth and job opportunities for all.
“The goal is to reinforce Somalia’s economic resilience while reducing the country’s vulnerability to shocks,” Mr. Scarcia said. “And we do this by stimulating economic growth and by developing Somali human capital.”
The thousands of bees buzzing around Mr. Dhicis at his firm’s apiary are the result of that goal.
He smiles at seeing the bees’ nets, and twists shut ten jars of honey that he places carefully, one by one, in a large carton box, which he seals to prepare for transport to Belet Weyne town for the next morning’s market.
1 of 5

Story
26 January 2023
Ahmed Abdullahi Ahmed: Creating educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities
Mogadishu – Ahmed Abdullahi Ahmed believes in education. He believes in its power to transform the lives of his fellow Somalis and in its capacity to help transform Somalia.
His belief is grounded in his personal experience.
“Until I was older, I had no idea how tough it was for my parents to pay for my school fees and other necessary things for my education, such as books and uniforms, so I can easily appreciate the plight of people who did not even have parents who could afford to pay for their education, and this is what inspired me to work in educational development,” Mr. Ahmed says.
The education activist was born in 1993, in the early years of Somalia’s descent into civil war. The conflict meant his schooling was delayed.
At the age of nine, he was finally enrolled at the Al-Ma’mun Al-Azhar Primary School in Mogadishu. However, just five years into his schooling, he and his family fled the worsening violence in the capital and moved to Dhusamareb, the capital city of Galgaduud.
“I was disappointed, but I could not stop my dream of getting an education. I was eventually able to finish my high schooling in 2012 in Dhusamareb,” Mr. Ahmed says.
The need for patience continued. Just as with his primary and secondary education, there was a further delay with his tertiary education – Mr. Ahmed had to wait three years before he could start university, partly because he was responsible for helping support his family, which he did by working in small business enterprises.
In 2015, he enrolled at SIMAD University in Mogadishu, graduating four years later with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. He was able to afford the education thanks to his brother, who paid his tuition fees.
Reflecting on his education journey, he noted the one common thread throughout: a lack of financial resources to afford his education. At the same time, he was very aware that he was fortunate as, even though it was a struggle, he was ultimately able to graduate.
A vocation
While completing his studies, Mr. Ahmed also started teaching children living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) around Mogadishu.
“I began helping children who did not go to school, first and foremost with the basic skills of reading and writing,” he recalls. “I felt that every time I taught a lesson I fulfilled a vital duty to society.”
The experience helped shape his views. Upon graduating, Mr. Ahmed figured out his vocation: promoting education so that as many Somali children as possible would be able to access this life-changing experience.
So, in 2019, he returned to Dhusamareb. While in 2007 he and his family had fled there to escape the fighting in Mogadishu, this time it was a voluntary decision – he was determined to help his local community, inspired by his teaching experience with IDPs.
Mr. Ahmed established Gargaar (transl.: ‘Help’) in early 2020, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to helping aspiring students, aged between five and 18, from disadvantaged and impoverished backgrounds.
"When I finished university, I returned to the city that saved my life and founded an organisation to help poor people, especially in rural areas and in IDP camps where there is no access to basic services, including education," he says.
The 29-year-old notes that, while the Galmudug school system may cater to the majority of the Federal Member State’s students, there were many who cannot access formal education structures – such as young IDPs and members of other marginalised communities – and that was where Gargaar had a role to play.
Gargaar focuses on education and health. Made up of 33 staff, and boosted by many volunteers, the NGO does this by helping the disadvantaged with the cost of schooling and medical care, especially in rural areas and in IDP camps.
“In 12 areas that fall under Dhusamareb, we have assisted close to 1,000 students to achieve their educational dreams and also established several schools. We have supported teachers and provided them with resources such as training and salaries. So far, around 847 pupils – of which 321 are girls – have benefitted from our support,” he says.
Support and recognition
The NGO’s resources are limited, but with financial support from local residents of Dhusamareb, especially youth and civil servants, the organisation has been able to raise enough funds for its projects.
"We receive a small amount of money from the people in the surrounding areas, from government officials and from the Ministry of Education. We also get donations from the schools’ neighbours who also devote their time to help manage the schools,” says Mr. Ahmed.
In addition to financial support from the local community in Dhusamareb, Gargaar also benefits from a network of committed volunteers.
“The idea of promoting education in rural areas and IDP camps that led my friends and I to start Gargaar in 2019 now attracts 164 young people who willingly participate in the organisation’s activities. They come on separate days and help in various ways, including motivating teachers and sometimes participating in teaching students,” Mr. Ahmed says.
The NGO’s efforts have been recognised locally.
“Gargaar is a youth organisation that is a pillar for the development of education in Galmudug. It is providing a much-needed service in the field of education – it is hard to find such dedication,” says Galmudug’s Minister of Education, Mohamed Hashi Dhore.
Gargaar’s success in educational outreach to young people in Dhusamareb’s marginalised communities has led to further approaches. In 2020, Galmudug’s Ministry of Health invited Gargaar to work together on health promotion activities in the city.
Mr. Ahmed and his collaborators did not hesitate in joining since, he says, “from our interactions with people of different communities we knew we could guide the government towards where services were needed most.”
The relationship has since blossomed.
"In 2021, with the support of Galmudug’s Ministry of Health and youth volunteers, we succeeded in building and equipping the first maternal and child health centre in Dhusamareb, with Care International paying the salaries of those working at the centre,” says Mr. Ahmed. “We now employ up to nine health workers and aim to double that number by this coming year."
“We hope that our work will soon spread through the entire Galmudug State,” he adds.
Education for youth
The United Nations believes that quality education equips children to succeed in life, providing them with life skills to take care of themselves and fulfill their potential. In addition, upholding the right to education promotes normalcy and can give hope for the future, not only for children but also for their families and communities.
However, for many children in Somalia, going to school and receiving a good education is still a dream out of their reach.
More than three million children in Somalia are out of school. In many areas across the country, parents are not able to fund their children’s education. In addition to poverty, long distances to school, safety concerns, social norms favouring boys’ education, marginalisation and lack of teachers, particularly female teachers, and the low availability of sanitation facilities stop parents from enrolling children, especially girls, in school.
Children in nomadic pastoralist communities are constantly on the move and often denied their right to an education. The ongoing conflict and natural disasters also continue to displace children and families, making it very difficult for them to continue schooling.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works closely with Somali educational authorities to improve children’s access to schools, enhance learning and skills and ensure that children in emergencies and on the move are protected and have opportunities to access education.
Link to original story.
1 of 5

Press Release
15 January 2023
International partners call for calm and restraint in Laascaanood
Mogadishu – International partners* are concerned about the violence in Laascaanood resulting in civilian deaths and casualties.
Preventing violence and ensuring the protection of civilians is paramount. We call for calm and restraint. Tensions must be resolved through de-escalation and dialogue.
*African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, EU Delegation, Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, League of Arab States (LAS), Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Sudan, Sweden, Türkiye, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States and United Nations.
Top Stories
1 of 5
Press Release
08 November 2022
Somalia Humanitarian Fund allocates US$17 million for famine prevention
The Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mr. Adam Abdelmoula, launched a new allocation of US$17 million from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide immediate assistance to communities in areas at highest risk of famine.
“Famine is knocking on the door in Somalia and millions of people are at risk of starvation unless humanitarian assistance is scaled up and sustained,” said Mr. Abdelmoula.
“This allocation is critical because the number of people affected by drought has more than doubled since the beginning of 2022 and humanitarians urgently require additional funds to meet increased needs.The drought in Somalia has affected at least 7.8 million people, including more than one million people displaced from their homes in search of water, food, and pasture."
The $17 million allocation will fund immediate life-saving activities at a time when humanitarian operations are struggling to keep up with the scale, scope and severity of needs. The allocation will promote an area-based integrated response and focus on the worst-affected communities in Bay, Bakool and Mudug/Galmudug. Target districts will be prioritized based on needs, response gaps, partner presence, accessibility, and existing opportunities to leverage ongoing inter-sectoral interventions.
The allocation will complement the ongoing SHF reserve allocation of $9.5 million that was launched in July and supplement resources from the Central Emergency Response Fund that are providing unconditional cash transfers in tandem with emergency livelihood inputs, health, camp coordination and protection activities. The SHF’s comparative advantage in providing funds to national NGOs will ensure the presence of partners in key drought hotspot locations, advance localization and strengthen capacity building of local partners. The revised 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) requires $2.27 billion to respond to the needs of 7.6 million people in Somalia. Donors have contributed $1.07 billion (47 per cent), enabling partners to reach about 6.5 million people with some form of assistance, but more funds are required to keep up with increasing needs, as we are in the middle of a fifth consecutive failed rainy season with a possibility of a sixth at the beginning of next year.
1 of 5
Press Release
31 October 2022
Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Somalia
The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by yesterday’s attack in Mogadishu, which killed over 100 people and wounded many more. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, which include United Nations staff, as well as the Government and people of Somalia. He wishes a speedy recovery to those injured. The Secretary-General strongly condemns these heinous attacks and reiterates that the United Nations stands in solidarity with Somalia against violent extremism. He pledges continued support for a peaceful and prosperous Somalia.
1 of 5
Press Release
23 October 2022
IOM, World Bank, Government of Somalia to Provide Lasting Solutions for 71,000 People Affected by Drought
Mogadishu – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Bank and the Federal Government of Somalia launched a new USD 20 million project to tackle the pressing needs of 71,000 displaced and vulnerable people affected by the historic drought and a deepening hunger crisis.
The project will provide emergency relief and enhance abilities to recover and adapt through long-term housing solutions and infrastructure development.
“The project comes at a critical time as the most severe drought in four decades pushes millions of people further into poverty, starvation and displacement, with thousands at risk of eviction,” said Ewa Naqvi, IOM Deputy Chief of Mission in Somalia during the launch of the project.
Having typically left rural areas, most displaced people live in informal settlements located on the outskirts of cities where they face also fear and intimidation. Unclear tenure arrangements put displaced populations at high risk of forced evictions. So far in 2022, there have been more than 29,000 recorded forced evictions in urban centres and around a quarter of the people evicted were displaced by the current drought.
IOM is leading the Danwadaag Durable Solutions Consortium – a group of local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on providing long-term solutions to protracted displacement – and will work under the leadership of the Federal Government of Somalia to provide critical services to communities impacted by the drought, which has already displaced over 1.1 million people.
"As part of our Government's response to the drought crisis, my ministry will provide emergency support to around 71,000 people in the municipalities of Garowe, Mogadishu and Kismayo. IOM and its partners will implement the USD 20 million project to urgently address the water, sanitation, shelter, health and nutritional needs of drought-affected families,” said H.E. Ismail Abdirahman Sheikh Bashir, Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing during the launch.
Those displaced during this two-year-long drought join millions of other internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in precarious conditions following decades of conflict, economic crisis and climatic extremes and likely to never return home. One of the most vulnerable groups in Somalia, displaced people face limited access to basic services and struggle to make a sufficient living.
The Somalia Urban Resilience project will step in to support targeted displaced families and improve relationships with host communities before evictions take place.
"The ability to help municipalities address critical lifesaving needs of people affected by drought is a significant step forward in the World Bank’s objective to provide holistic support to the Somali government. We look forward to a productive collaboration with the Danwadaag Consortium, led by IOM,” said Kristina Svensson, World Bank Country Manager for Somalia.
The Somalia Urban Resilience Project will also provide housing solutions including title deeds and land where families at risk of eviction can permanently settle and restart their lives, as well as legal support on rights and lease agreements.
The project will focus on increasing access to health services and engage community members to build infrastructure such as improved shelters, boreholes, latrines, streetlights and drainage systems. A key aspect of the project will involve strengthening the Government´s capacity to deliver essential services to people across Somalia. This project also responds to the implementation of the IOM Strategy on Migration, Environment and Climate Change 2021-2030.
The tailored and inclusive services under this project will also reduce marginalization, promote sustainable integration and effectively lay the foundations for increased resilience in Somalia´s urban centres.
1 of 5
Press Release
20 September 2022
The Netherlands adds $2.1 million to UNFPA’s Somali Youth Empowerment project
Mogadishu: The Kingdom of the Netherlands has provided UNFPA Somalia with 2.1 million US Dollars to support the “Accelerated Socio-economic Empowerment of Youth in Somalia” project. The project is part of the European Union (EU) funded Dalbile Youth Initiative.
The Dalbile Youth Initiative promotes a holistic approach to youth empowerment that goes beyond just employability, it fosters an overall enabling environment that improves the lives of Somali youth. This valued financial boost to the project will support the provision of equipment and the construction of youth-friendly spaces across Somalia. These spaces provide opportunities for the youth to engage in peace-building, skills development, income-generation, entrepreneurship, sports and culture.
Niyi Ojuolape, Country Representative for UNFPA Somalia welcomed the new funding,
“This new funding demonstrates not just the trust of the Netherlands government and indeed the EU in the capabilities of the Somali youth, but also the impact and success of the project’s activities, thus far. We are committed to ensuring that the Somali youth, especially young girls, have safe spaces to realize their full potential as productive and independent agents of positive change.”
In August 2020, the EU provided 6 Million Euros for the Dalbile Youth Initiative, projected to span over 3.5 years. Since its launch, the project has transformed the lives of 5,000 young people through bootcamps; entrepreneurship, social enterprises, and financial literacy/management training; mentorship programmes; future ready skills and start-up grants.
The project also initiated full-fledged youth friendly spaces in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Bossaso, and Buhodle. These serve as co-working spaces and provide incubation, research and acceleration services for new start-ups.
Dalbile Youth Initiative partners with the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member States. In this project, the EU and the Netherlands are working together in partnership to jointly support sustainable recovery and the achievement of SDGs in Somalia.
1 of 5
Latest Resources
1 / 11
1 / 11