The Deputy Commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), Dr. Ahmed Abdi Adan, received a delegation from Refugees International (RI), led by its President, Jeremy Konyndyk, and Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, Refugees International’s Regional Lead for East and Southern Africa.

The meeting focused on Somalia’s humanitarian situation, humanitarian assistance, and strengthening cooperation in the humanitarian sector, particularly efforts to address the needs of communities affected by humanitarian crises.

The Refugees International delegation stated that it is working to advocate for the restoration of humanitarian funding previously provided to Somalia by the Government of the United States, which has been suspended for some time.

Finally, SoDMA briefed the delegation on its plans for responding to humanitarian needs and strengthening preparedness and mitigation measures against the anticipated impacts of El Niño. The discussions emphasized building Somalia’s domestic capacity to respond effectively to emergencies while reducing reliance on international humanitarian assistance.