Mogadishu, (SONNA) — The Chairperson of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle, officially opened the National Consultation Forum on the Review of Somalia’s Disaster Management Policy today in Mogadishu.
The high-level forum aims to revise and strengthen the National Disaster Management Policy to better reflect the current realities on the ground, through inclusive consultations with key stakeholders in the humanitarian and disaster response sectors.
Participants at the opening session included State Minister for Energy and Water Resources, Mohamed Abdullahi Farah; Director General of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Abdirisak Ahmed Ali; Deputy Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Somalia, Marco Selva; as well as representatives from Federal Member States, the Benadir Regional Administration, federal institutions, United Nations agencies, local and international NGOs, and civil society organizations.
In his keynote address, SoDMA Chair Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle emphasized the importance of developing a comprehensive, inclusive, and context-specific national policy to effectively manage disaster risks and enhance resilience.
“This consultation provides us with a valuable opportunity to align our experiences, perspectives, and critiques to create a policy that is not only inclusive and sustainable but also grounded in the realities we face across Somalia,” said Abdulle.
He urged participants to engage openly and constructively, emphasizing the need for equitable, realistic, and implementable solutions that leave no one behind.
The forum marks a critical step toward establishing a unified national approach to disaster preparedness and response, at a time when Somalia continues to face increasing climate-related and humanitarian challenges.
