Jowhar, Somalia — The 9th Session of the Somalia Country Humanitarian Forum (CHF) officially opened today in Jowhar, the capital of Hirshabelle State, marking a powerful stride toward strengthening a Somali-led and locally-driven humanitarian response for resilience.
The critical forum, organized by the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) in collaboration with the Hirshabelle State Government, was formally inaugurated by the President of Hirshabelle State, H.E. Ali Gudlawe Hussein. The event convened a high-calibre assembly of key stakeholders, including SoDMA Commissioner Mohamud Moalim Abdulle, Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs from all Federal Member States (FMS), the UN’s Deputy Special Representative (DSRSG) George Conway, heads of UN agencies (OCHA, FAO), the NGO Consortium, civil society, and local leaders.
The discussions quickly focused on the compounding, life-threatening humanitarian situation in Somalia and the urgent need to shift strategies from perpetual crisis management to sustainable, coordinated resilience building.
The Dire Reality: Four Seasons of Drought and Funding Cuts
The international community delivered stark warnings regarding the severity of the crisis. Mr. Chris, the representative from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), presented sobering statistics, noting that Somalia is facing its fourth consecutive season of less rainfall. He confirmed that an alarming 21,000 children are severely malnourished, a figure underscoring the immediate danger.
The crisis is compounded by a devastating financial shortfall. OCHA revealed that severe funding cuts are forcing humanitarian actors to drastically reduce aid, projecting that the number of beneficiaries receiving vital cash assistance will plummet from 680,000 to just over 200,000.
OCHA warned that this massive reduction leaves an unconscionable gap and urged the government, through the state ministers and SoDMA, to lobby the civil society, religious leaders, and the business community to urgently fill this void.
Furthermore, OCHA cautioned against hasty government actions, specifically noting that ongoing evictions must adhere strictly to the National Eviction Guideline to prevent the creation of new, avoidable humanitarian crises among the displaced populations.
A Call for Investment and Accountability
Adding significant international weight to the need for a strategic overhaul, Mr. George Conway, the DSRSG/Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, strongly endorsed the call for long-term thinking. He lamented that the current crises might have been mitigated if Somalia and its partners had invested in “solutions of the future” years ago.
Focusing heavily on accountability, Mr. Conway stressed the necessity for absolute transparency to ensure “every dollar gets to the people who need it.” He acknowledged positively that Federal and State-level actors have already implemented mechanisms to prevent aid diversion, strengthening trust in local governance. SoDMA and FMS Lead the Strategic Pivot
The forum’s central strategic direction was articulated by the Somali leadership.
SoDMA Commissioner Mohamud Moalim Abdulle delivered a powerful message, stating that the current crisis—driven by droughts, recurrent floods, conflicts, and displacement—is a critical humanitarian situation. He demanded that the collective response be immediate, coordinated, preventative, and effective.
Crucially, Commissioner Abdulle announced the development of new disaster prevention systems and plans aimed at ensuring that humanitarian relief is intrinsically linked to stabilisation efforts. This new architecture seeks to build public trust, restore governance, and lay a solid foundation for peace and development.
This strategic direction was strongly supported by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs for North East State, Abdirisaaq Hindi, who spoke on behalf of all FMS Ministers. He emphasised the CHF’s role, which meets quarterly, as essential for strengthening cooperation between aid agencies and Federal Member States to deliver a meaningful, immediate response to the severe drought affecting people and livestock nationwide.
The sentiment of local ownership was reinforced by Ms. Nima Hassan of the NGO Consortium, who thanked SoDMA for its outstanding coordination efforts and emphasized that the focus must shift from “fear to unity.” She amplified the call for self-dependency through the robust mobilization of local charity and Zakaat by the diaspora, private sector, and religious leaders.
Tackling Conflict-Driven Crises
A key topic that emerged from the pre-forum activities, which remains critical to the discussions, was the internal security threat. Commissioner Abdulle previously issued a strong condemnation of the “grim” and “unconscionable” humanitarian crisis caused by tribal clashes, particularly in Lower Shabelle. He warned that this violence only compounds the dire situation from drought and terror, and accused the Al-Shabaab group of actively inciting communities to chaos. He confirmed that SoDMA has medicine, tents, and food mobilized and on standby to deploy the moment hostilities cease, underscoring the agency’s commitment to rapid response in volatile areas.
The Jowhar CHF 2025 has been concluded with the adoption of a Communiqué that will formalise action points and commitments, transforming the critical dialogue into measurable, Somali-led actions for national resilience.
