Issues Archive

Issues filters
Search
  • The Somali Wire 273
  • The Ethiopian Cable 30
  • The Horn Edition 30
Archive
Filter by tags
Search
  • The Somali Wire 273
  • The Ethiopian Cable 30
  • The Horn Edition 30
Archive
Filter by tags
  • Published December 16, 2022

    Somalia is enduring its worst drought in 40 years, displacing millions and putting the nation on the frontline of climate insecurity. While famine has been narrowly averted, rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation continue to intersect with Somalia’s fragile social, political, and economic systems, threatening peace and human security. To address this challenge, advanced conflict modelling tools like the UN Environment Programme’s Strata platform combine environmental, climate, and socio-political data to identify potential instability hotspots. However, Somalia’s lack of a centralised data institution limits its ability to collect and analyse the vast information needed for accurate forecasting. Local, grassroots-level data – such as rural food production, land use, firewood collection patterns, and soil moisture – is critical to understanding and predicting climate-related insecurity.

  • Published November 18, 2022

    At COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud delivered a compelling message on the urgent need for global action to combat climate change. Representing one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, he highlighted the devastating impacts of prolonged droughts, famine risk, and resource depletion in Somalia. Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Somalia faces rising temperatures projected to reach up to 4°C by 2080, threatening its agrarian and pastoralist livelihoods. President Hassan Sheikh unveiled Somalia’s first Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and launched the Green Somalia Initiative, aiming to plant 10 million trees. He called for industrialized nations to take responsibility for “loss and damage” costs, arguing that those who have benefited most from fossil fuels must assist countries bearing the brunt of climate impacts. While binding agreements on loss and damage remain deferred until 2024, the president emphasized renewable energy opportunities, noting Somalia’s vast solar and wind potential. With only 0.6% of global renewable investment reaching Africa in 2021, Hassan Sheikh urged for greater technology transfer and funding. The outcome of COP27 could shape Somalia’s resilience, energy independence, and fight against climate-driven instability.

  • Published August 19, 2022

    Somalia is in the grip of its worst drought in living memory, with four consecutive failed rainy seasons since 2020 affecting 4.1 million people and displacing more than one million. Forecasts suggest the October‑December deyr rains will also underperform, pushing the country toward an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Combined with conflict, global food price spikes, and the lingering effects of COVID‑19, the crisis is devastating rural livelihoods. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has made drought response a top priority, appointing Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame as Special Envoy to coordinate relief efforts and raise global awareness. His advocacy has secured $1.5 billion in aid pledges, but this is less than half of the $3.9 billion the UN says is needed. Meanwhile, over seven million Somalis face acute food insecurity, with famine expected in 17 districts without urgent intervention. Women and children make up over 80% of those displaced, many living in overcrowded, unsanitary IDP camps. Malnutrition and disease are rising sharply. The government has formed a new National Disaster Management Committee to coordinate aid delivery, but donor fatigue and logistical challenges threaten progress.

Scroll