Mogadishu, – For Somalia’s people facing drought, rising hunger and displacement, the answer is not more short-term fixes but sustained development investment in long-term recovery, said UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Crisis Bureau Director Shoko Noda.
“Progress in Somalia is under pressure from aid cuts, drought and rising costs,” said Noda following a visit from 3 to 6 May. “Development is essential to restoring trust, creating jobs and reducing the risk of renewed crises.”
Somalia has 3.3 million internally displaced people and, according to the Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, nearly 5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The country is also navigating a transition as it assumes greater responsibility for security and development, while the UN political mission prepares to conclude.
During her visit to Mogadishu and the port city of Bosaso, Noda met government leaders, donors and local communities, focusing on how to translate economic and institutional progress into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“In Somalia this week, I saw both significant needs and strong potential for recovery,” she said. “Sustaining peace will depend on whether development reaches communities and strengthens trust between people and institutions.”
In meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister and ministers responsible for interior, finance, planning and foreign affairs, discussions focused on job creation, service delivery and development financing. With multidimensional poverty affecting two in three people and economic growth at around 3 percent, expanding livelihoods remains a major challenge.
In 2026, UNDP is convening the UN’s Solutions Champions to Internal Displacement Group. Noda underscored that solutions should be government-led and supported through stronger national institutions, coordinated financing and coherent UN support under Resident Coordinator leadership.
At a government-led roundtable on drought response, she highlighted worsening climate impacts on water and food security and called for greater investment in resilience, including renewable energy, water systems and disaster preparedness.
In Bosaso, she visited communities where longer-term recovery initiatives are taking shape. In the Girible settlement, displaced families are securing land tenure and moving into permanent homes, while local markets are creating opportunities for women-led businesses.
She also visited a fisheries training centre, where young people are gaining practical skills linked to local labour markets. With most Somalis under the age of 30, expanding access to jobs and skills is viewed as critical to long-term stability.
At the Elman Peace Centre in Mogadishu, Noda met young people receiving vocational training and job placement support in areas including plumbing, coding, solar installation and electronics repair, many from displacement-affected communities preparing to enter the labour market.
“When young people have work, dignity and opportunity, communities become more resilient and the risks associated with instability and displacement are reduced,” said Noda. “Expanding access to jobs and services is essential to strengthening resilience and supporting sustainable recovery.”
Throughout the mission, Noda emphasised the importance of partnerships, acknowledging the Somali government, local authorities, UN agencies and donors including Switzerland, the European Union, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
