Mogadishu, Somalia – For Somalia’s people facing drought, rising hunger and protracted displacement, the answer is not more short-term fixes but a development investment in long-term recovery, said UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Crisis Bureau Director Shoko Noda.

“Fragile progress in Somalia is under pressure from aid cuts, drought and rising costs,” said Noda following a visit from 3 to 6 May. “If we wait for stability before investing in development, we risk losing both. Development is what restores trust, creates jobs and prevents crisis relapse.”

Somalia has 3.3 million internally displaced people and, according to the Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, nearly 5 million in need of humanitarian assistance. The country is also navigating a transition as it assumes greater responsibility for security and development, with the UN political mission set to conclude.

During her visit to Mogadishu and the port city of Bosaso, Noda met government leaders, donors and communities, focusing on how to translate economic and institutional progress into tangible improvements in people’s lives.

“In Somalia this week, I saw both the scale of need and the potential for recovery,” she said. “Sustaining peace will depend on whether development reaches communities and trust is restored 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 growth at around 3 percent, expanding livelihoods remains a key challenge.

In 2026 UNDP is convening the UN’s Solutions Champions to Internal Displacement Group. Noda underscored that solutions must be government-led and supported by strengthened national institutions, coordinated and innovative financing, backed by 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 approaches are taking root. In the Girible settlement, displaced families are securing land tenure and moving into permanent homes, while local markets are creating new 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 three in four Somalis under 30, expanding access to jobs and skills is seen as critical to stability.

At the Elman Peace Centre in Mogadishu, Noda met young people receiving training and job placement support in market-driven 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, the risks of renewed conflict and displacement begin to recede,” said Noda. “In a context where vulnerability and insecurity remain high, expanding access to jobs and services is essential to reduce risks, strengthen resilience and prevent a return to crisis.”

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.

Contact

Kamal Raj Sigdel, UNDP Somalia kamal.sigdel@undp.org

Aimee Brown, UNDP Crisis Bureau, aimee.brown@undp.org