Stakeholders meet to deliberate on El-Nino preparedness and response
GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: SoDMA chairman Mahmoud Ma’allin Abdulle Thursday chaired a high-level consultative meeting at the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) headquarters in Mogadishu to discuss emergency response to much awaited El-Nino rains.
During the meeting which brought together top government officials from different ministries, partner organizations, civil society and women’s groups the SoDMA chairman said that the El-Nino phenomenon is a global challenge that requires collective action and coordination among all actors.
He urged the participants to share their views and suggestions on how to prepare and respond to the disaster effectively.
Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulqaadir, said that the education sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors as schools across the country could be affected by floods, landslides, displacement which will disruption of learning.
He said that his ministry is working on contingency plans and emergency education programs to ensure that children’s access to education is protected.
High Risk
On his part, Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adan, said the health sector is also facing a high risk of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, malaria, measles and malnutrition due to the El-Nino rains.
He revealed that his ministry is strengthening its surveillance and response systems and mobilizing resources and partners to provide health services and supplies to the affected populations.
The State Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Hirsi Jaama Gaani, said that the government is committed to providing leadership and guidance to all stakeholders in addressing the effects of El-Nino rains.
He further revealed that the government has established a national task force and a coordination mechanism to oversee and monitor the situation and the response activities.
The minister also called for more support and assistance from the international community and donors to help Somalia cope with the disaster.
Speakers during the consultative meeting echoed similar sentiments where it was agreed that priorities should be directed to; strengthening information sharing and coordination among all stakeholders at national and sub-national levels, developing contingency plans and emergency response plans for each sector and region, mobilizing resources and capacities for preparedness and response activities, enhancing community resilience and coping mechanisms through awareness raising, early warning, risk reduction and livelihood support, advocating for more humanitarian assistance and protection for the affected people and monitoring and evaluating the situation and the response activities regularly.
The meeting was part of a series of consultations that SoDMA is conducting with different stakeholders to enhance Somalia’s preparedness and readiness for the El-Nino disaster.