Hirshabelle Hosts National Humanitarian Forum to Strengthen Disaster Response Coordination

GOOBJOOG NEWS | JOWHAR: Hirshabelle State President Ali Gudlawe Hussein on Monday opened the annual Somalia Humanitarian Forum in Jowhar, bringing together government officials, aid agencies, and international partners to discuss ways to improve disaster response and humanitarian coordination across the country.

The meeting, organized by the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), included representatives from federal ministries, regional administrations, the United Nations, civil society and international humanitarian organizations. Hirshabelle’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Aasha Khalif and SoDMA Commissioner Mohamud Moalim Abdulle also attended.

Officials said the forum aims to review current humanitarian challenges, strengthen cooperation between national and regional authorities, and expand preparedness measures for floods, drought and displacement — recurring crises that continue to impact millions of Somalis.

“Our focus is to improve coordination and ensure that assistance reaches vulnerable communities faster and more effectively,” President Gudlawe said at the opening session.

SoDMA leaders noted that building stronger state-level systems and sharing data on needs and resources will be central to improving the overall humanitarian response nationwide.

Participants are expected to develop joint action plans and outline priority areas for assistance, including support for displaced families, livelihood recovery and climate-related risk mitigation.