The Commissioner of the National Disaster Management Agency, Mr. Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle, stated that Somalia has moved beyond the stage of discussions and planning and has now entered a phase of building formal and effective systems for disaster response.

He noted that Somalia continuously faces droughts, conflicts, and the impacts of climate change, and therefore the losses resulting from delayed disaster response should not be underestimated.

Commissioner Mahmoud Moallim emphasized that the new National Disaster Management Policy recognizes the Shock-Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) system as a critical component of the national disaster response framework. He also expressed his appreciation to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) for their support in establishing this system.

Finally, he called on international partners to channel future support through the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (National DRM Fund) in order to strengthen national capacity and enhance the country’s ability to respond effectively to humanitarian emergencies.