The Federal Government of Somalia, in collaboration with the United Nations, launched a two-year programme on 9 April 2025 to strengthen food systems in Somalia, with support from the Joint SDG Fund.
The joint programme "Transforming Food Systems Through Nutrition-Sensitive and Climate-Adaptive Social Protection Systems," under the strategic leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator in Somalia and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), represents a significant milestone in Somalia’s efforts to strengthen food systems governance, integrate social protection, and build resilience through nutrition-sensitive and climate-adaptive approaches.
Delivering the key remarks at the launch event, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Salah Ahmed Jama, highlighted that transforming food systems is critical to Somalia’s state-building efforts.
“Our journey to transform food systems is deeply tied to Somalia’s broader nation-building efforts. As we advance toward debt relief, recovery, and long-term development, food systems must be at the heart of our resilience architecture. This means securing long-term financing for food systems investments, building public-private partnerships that prioritize local markets and empower communities, especially women and youth, as agents of transformation. This Joint programme funded by SDG Fund lays the foundation for these aspirations.”
Speaking at the event, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Mr. George Conway emphasized the UN's collective commitment to supporting Somalia's food systems efforts.
“Addressing food insecurity in Somalia requires a whole-of-system approach to food systems. The aim of this programme is to have a transformative and catalytic impact, significantly advancing national food security and self-reliance in Somalia. We are pleased that it fully aligns with the Government of Somalia's vision outlined in the National Transformation Plan 2025-2029,” said Mr. George Conway.
The programme will directly support 28,000 people, with 10,000 people (government staff, community leaders, service providers) reached through capacity building both at the subnational and national levels in the target locations.
FAO Head of Programme Ezana Kassa stated the importance of joint programming in transforming agrifood systems.
“This joint programme is a key step in operationalizing Somalia’s National Food Systems Pathways by linking nutrition-sensitive, climate-adaptive social protection with resilient agrifood systems. By strengthening governance, inclusive engagement, and data-driven decision-making, we aim to build a more sustainable and equitable future. Integrating climate-smart livelihoods, early warning, and financial inclusion will help transform food systems to be more resilient, inclusive, and efficient—leaving no one behind”.
National and local policies related to food systems and social protection will potentially benefit all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable and food insecure populations, especially with 4.6 million people in Somalia could face crisis hunger by June 2025.
WFP Somalia Deputy Country Director Marco Selva weighed in, saying, “Somalia faces multiple, interconnected challenges—food insecurity, economic fragility, and social vulnerabilities—that threaten lives, livelihoods, and long-term development. This SDG-funded joint programme is a partnership between UN agencies and the Government, investing in long-term solutions and food systems transformation to create greater collective impact and enhance the well-being and resilience of communities in Somalia”
The joint programme will provide economic inclusion support—including skills development and livelihood assistance—to approximately 8,000 participants identified through the Unified Social Register. The focus will be on the most vulnerable individuals, including pregnant and lactating women, unemployed youth, female-headed households, children living with disabilities, as well as smallholder farmers with productive capacity.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
