By Asha Elmi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 3 October 2026 — Somalia’s disaster agency is calling on the Somali public, particularly the diaspora, to help bridge a funding gap for relief efforts after raising only $7 million of an estimated $208 million needed, its chairman said.
Mahmoud Moallin Abdulle, chairman of the Somali Disaster Management Agency, said the agency was not relying solely on foreign governments and international donors, but expected Somalis to play a major role in supporting people affected by humanitarian crises.
“Our hope is not that we will get something from foreigners or governments. Our hope is the Somali people, especially those in the diaspora, will come to our aid,” Abdulle said in an interview with Dawan Media’s Miizaan podcast aired on Saturday.
He said Somalis had played a significant role in the response to the previous drought, with businesses, diaspora groups, families and community groups providing water and other assistance to people in need.
Such community support helped ease pressure on the government and humanitarian agencies at a time when international funding was constrained, Abdulle said.
Separately, the disaster agency is preparing for potential flooding from heavy rains expected during the Deyr rainy season and associated with El Niño conditions.
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Abdulle said 29 districts had been selected among areas requiring particular attention, but the agency would not work alone across all of them.
The Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) is working with United Nations agencies, international and national organisations, as well as Arab and Islamic governments, he said.
“The 29 are not the only ones. Our projection is to work in more than 40 districts, but we selected the 29 as those facing the greatest burden,” Abdulle said.
He said the fact that SoDMA had so far assessed 12 districts did not mean the remaining areas had been left without assistance, as other organisations had been assigned to work there.
SoDMA’s primary role is to coordinate the wider response, while other agencies carry out operations in designated areas, Abdulle said.