UAE, Somalia partner on drought preparedness and emergency response

Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to cooperate on a number of environmental improvement issues, including disaster resilience and El Nino preparedness.

This was announced during a meeting between the Commissioner of Somalia's National Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), Mohamud Macallin Abdulle, and the UAE Ambassador to Mogadishu, Ahmed Juma Al-Rumaysi.

The meeting explored how the UAE government could support the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) in key areas such as engaging, developing and implementing initiatives that would strengthen Somalia's ability to withstand and recover from future disasters, particularly in the face of climate change and extreme weather events.

The envoy also pledged to assist Somalia in rebuilding and repairing infrastructure, restoring livelihoods and addressing the social and economic impacts of the devastating floods caused by the El Niño weather pattern.

The two leaders also discussed sustainable solutions, including working together to find long-term solutions that will reduce Somalia's vulnerability to disasters and promote a more resilient future for the country and its people.

"In this meeting, we discussed the UAE government's upcoming plan to assist SoDMA in preparing for potential drought caused by reduced rainfall in the coming seasons. This preparation will focus on developing comprehensive emergency response programmes," said Mohamud Mo'alim Abdulle, SoDMA commissioner.

This collaboration between the UAE government and SoDMA demonstrates the commitment to addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of Somalia while working towards a more sustainable and disaster-resilient future.