UK pledges $9 million to support Somalia’s drought resilience

The UK government has announced a $9 million donation to the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRiFi) programme, a climate risk management initiative led by the African Development Bank and implemented by the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA).

The pledge was made by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change, held in the United Arab Emirates.

This action and financial donation will help in the management of humanitarian resilience in the country for the next five years, which has affected millions of people and caused widespread crop failures and livestock deaths.

The ADRiFi programme aims to enhance the resilience and response of African countries to climate shocks by improving the assessment, financing and insurance of climate disaster risks.

The chairman of SoDMA, Mohamud Ma’allin Abdulle, expressed his gratitude to the FCDO, the UK government and the British people for their continuous support to the Somali people.

He said the donation will enable SoDMA to provide timely and effective assistance to the most vulnerable communities and strengthen their capacity to adapt to the changing climate.