Solar-powered wells bring relief to drought-hit Somali communities

Somalia, 5 January 2026 A new network of solar-powered boreholes has begun supplying clean water to tens of thousands of people in rural Somalia, marking a significant step in strengthening community resilience in drought-prone areas.

The $2 million initiative, funded by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and implemented with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), aims to reduce reliance on costly private water vendors in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.

Two solar-powered boreholes have been completed and handed over to communities in Awrboogays in the Sanag region and Bacadweyn near Galkayo last week, as part of a broader initiative supported by the SFD, according to UNDP.

The project, implemented jointly with the Federal Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, aims to provide sustainable water access to about 120,000 people across four rural districts. Nine additional boreholes are currently under construction as part of a wider plan expected to benefit more than 3 million people indirectly by late 2026, UNDP said.

In rural Somalia, 48 per cent of the population lacks access to basic water. Many families pay private tankers up to $6 per barrel—a cost far exceeding the daily income of 73 per cent of Somalis living on less than $1.25 a day.