Somalia enhances humanitarian coordination ahead of El Nino

Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Juma on Wednesday formally opened the country’s humanitarian coordination forum.

The event, which was organised by the Somalia National Disaster Management Agency (Sodma), was held in in Baidoa, the transitional capital of the South West State.

In attendance were Ministers of the Humanitarian Ministries of the Federal Member States of Hirshabelle, Jubbaland, Galmudug, South West, Banadir Region, the Chairman of the Somali National Disaster Management Agency, Mr Mohamud Moalim Abdulle, and representatives of the international community.

Humanitarian aid

The meeting discussed the humanitarian situation in the country, the stabilisation of the areas that have been freed from the Kharijites and how the anticipated El Nino might affect the country.

It also discussed enacting laws against people who misuse humanitarian aid.

The Deputy Prime Minister assured that the government has put in measures to prevent loss of lives and damage of property by the El Nino rains which are expected between October and January.

“We are prepared to support everyone that will be affected by the rains. We are also looking at harvesting the rainfall and making good use of it,” Juma said.

Risk of flooding

Sodma chairman, Abdulle, confirmed that his agency had disseminated warning messages through different media channels, and were on standby to deal with any issues arising from the rainfall.

The conference is held once every three months in the capitals of the regional governments, to discuss and focus on the humanitarian situations in the country.

The meeting comes days after Sodma warned residents in the southern region of the country of the risk of flooding due to the anticipated El Nino rains.

El Nino is a climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and impacts weather all over the world.