Woman in IDP camp

UNDP Somalia

In action

Highlights

Gender
Somalia's Only All-women Media Team Nominated for Global Freedom of Expression Award

Bilan one of three nominees for 2023 Index on Censorship prize for journalists

Press release
SDGs
SDG Insight Report launched for 95 countries, including Somalia

Tight fiscal and financial constraints are driving growth-at-all costs, according to United Nations Development Programme collaboration with 95 countries

Read
Environment
Desalination Plant Delivers Fresh Water and Hope to Ainabo Communities

Residents of Ainabo never imagined that their salty water could be turned into clean water for cooking, washing, and most importantly, drinking.

Read
restored rangeland drone shot in Puntland
Environment
Preventing droughts, floods and soil erosion in land desperately needed by some of the poorest farmers and herders

Year-round water supplies for communities facing drought in Puntland, augmented by irrigation channels and erosion barriers, will help boost productivity, incomes and nutrition

Read
News
New Resident Representative for UNDP Somalia, Lionel Laurens, takes up post in Mogadishu

The new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Somalia, Lionel Laurens, assumed his responsibilities in Mogadishu this week.

Read
World Environment Day
Turning the Tide: UNDP and Somali Youth Advocate for a Plastic-Free Future on World Environment Day

Plastic pollution poses a major global problem, with 400 million tons of plastic produced annually. Each day, over 2,000 garbage trucks deposit plastic waste into our oceans, rivers, and lakes, yet only a third of it undergoes recycling.

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Gender
UNDP Somalia Gender Equality Strategy (2023-2026)

UNDP Somalia's new gender strategy strategy outlines our vision and concrete actions to address obstacles to full gender equality

Read
Blog
It’s dangerous being a female journalist in Somalia. But, one year on, we are still shining our light

Since Bilan, the country’s only all-women media house, was born last April, we’ve covered everything from HIV to opioids. Now we want to go global

Read
News
Somalia’s first all-women media team hits first-year anniversary

Somalia’s groundbreaking all-women media team, Bilan, today celebrates a year of smashing taboos and blazing a trail for women journalists in a country ranked as one of the most dangerous places to report the news.

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Gender
Women get a seat at the peacebuilding table

Joint UN initiative supports women to influence and improve efforts to bring an end to long-standing conflicts around Somalia

Read
PCVE
Hope for better jobs eclipses religious ideology as main driver of recruitment to violent extremist groups in Sub-Saharan Africa

New UN Development Programme report findings challenge traditional assumptions about what drives people to violent extremism, and highlight urgent need to move away from security-driven responses to development-based approaches focused on prevention

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IDPs
New perspectives on forced displacement

In a new report, Turning the tide on internal displacement: A development approach to solutions, UNDP offers a blueprint to help millions of people who have been forced from home by conflict or disaster.

Read
Climate
Drought-proofing Somalia's rangelands

New infrastructure from UNDP and the GEF helps herders survive even when the rains fail

Read/watch

Stories

Climate change

Facing hunger

Long-term development is key to fighting drought and saving lives. UNDP's projects on climate change, water management, disaster risk reduction and economic development all work together to help Somalia and its rural communities withstand natural disasters

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Somali pastoralists wash clothes in arid area

Our mission

UNDP is the leading UN organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and climate change in Somalia. 

Our programmes help the Somali government and people access the skills, technology and funding they need to drive their own development in areas including climate adaptation and mitigation, gender empowerment, the rule of law, national and local governance, job creation and skill development, innovation, peacebuilding and more.

Stories

Conflict mediation

Local voices: Dealing with domestic violence in a Somali town

Khowla is the coordinator of Baidoa's Dispute Resolution Centre, which is run with the support of UNDP to provide counselling and mediation services to people from the town itself and also nearby districts.

Learn more
Somali woman

Recent news

Stories
Preventing droughts, floods and soil erosion in land desperately needed by some of the poorest farmers and herders

Read more
Press Releases
New Resident Representative for UNDP Somalia, Lionel Laurens, takes up post in Mogadishu

Read more
Blog
Turning the Tide: UNDP and Somali Youth Advocate for a Plastic-Free Future on World Environment Day

Read more

See All Stories

Key stats

16

Million

Total population

70

Percent

Population using safely managed drinking water services

49

Percent

Population with access to electricity

80

Percent

Population working in agriculture

35

Percent

Proportion of women married before age 18

692

Women

Maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births