Baidoa (Dawan Africa) – The 2025 Country Humanitarian Forum (CHF) officially opened in Baidoa on Wednesday, convening national and international stakeholders to examine Somalia’s deepening humanitarian crisis and chart a more coordinated, locally led future for aid delivery.
The forum was inaugurated by Ali Said Fiqi, Speaker of the South West State Parliament and Acting President, who urged Somali institutions to reduce dependence on foreign aid and instead invest in grassroots resilience, peacebuilding, and productivity.
“Somalia must move away from aid dependency. Investing in community resilience — including peacebuilding and productivity — is the foundation of national development,” Fiqi said during the opening session.
The event was convened by the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) in partnership with the South West State administration. Attendees included federal and state government officials, United Nations representatives, diplomats, local and international NGOs, civil society groups, and private sector actors.
Held under the theme:
“Driving Localized, Inclusive, and Resilient Humanitarian Action,”
the forum focuses on shifting humanitarian leadership to Somali institutions, increasing funding transparency, and aligning short-term relief efforts with long-term development goals.
In a keynote address, SoDMA Chairperson Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle described the worsening conditions in the country, citing a severe drought in the Awdal region that has affected more than 600,000 people, along with continued conflict-driven displacement in Hiiraan, Middle Shabelle, and Gedo.
“The government has taken some steps, including a national pledge of $500,000 and a $200,000 contribution from the Benadir Regional Administration,” Moallim said.
“But this is far from enough — we need increased support from Somali businesses, diaspora communities, and local partners.”
Moallim also called for a fundamental shift in how aid is delivered, arguing that Somali-led systems must be placed at the center of the national humanitarian architecture.
“We must move from words to action — toward a future where Somalis lead their own humanitarian response,” he added.
In remarks reported by SoDMA, George Conway, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, warned that sharp reductions in humanitarian funding are jeopardizing critical services across the country.
“The humanitarian situation in Somalia remains dire. Funding gaps are already threatening the delivery of essential assistance,” Conway was quoted as saying.
He stressed that humanitarian action must be a shared responsibility and called for stronger engagement from donors, UN agencies, NGOs, government institutions, civil society, private sector players, and the Somali diaspora.
“This is a collective task — no single actor can meet the scale of Somalia’s needs alone,” he added.
Also speaking at the forum, Abdirahman Galaanbe, Deputy Chairperson of the Somali Chamber of Commerce, said the private sector stands ready to support national relief and recovery initiatives.
“We are ready — and as Somali businesses, we hope to work closely with SoDMA under its strategic framework,” said Galaanbe.
Panel discussions throughout the forum focused on boosting community participation, redesigning funding mechanisms, and embedding humanitarian response into broader development strategies — especially as the country faces recurrent displacement, rising food insecurity, and worsening climate shocks.
The 2025 CHF comes as more than six million people across Somalia remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, reinforcing the call for durable, Somali-owned responses to persistent crises.
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