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ANTALYA, 11 November 2026 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Wednesday that climate finance was "an obligation, not a charity," urging developed countries to keep their promises as he addressed the COP31 leaders' summit.
"Article 9 of the Paris Agreement says that the developed countries shall provide it," he said. "Climate-affected developing countries are not in Antalya seeking favour. We ask that promises freely made be kept by those most responsible."
Mohamud said Somalia produces 0.09% of global emissions, "yet our people suffer more than almost anyone from emissions produced elsewhere." He cited the 2020-2023 drought, which he described as the longest in 40 years, and the 2023 El Niño floods that affected more than 2 million people.
He said one of the strongest El Niño events ever recorded now threatens southern Somalia with floods that could disrupt the lives of up to 3.4 million people.
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Mohamud called for climate-hit developing countries to receive grants rather than loans, for eligibility for finance to reflect a country's exposure to climate risk, and for simpler and faster application processes.
He said the goal agreed in Baku, at least $300 billion a year by 2035, must become financing that reaches countries, "not just headlines with large empty numbers."
Somalia has committed to cutting emissions by 34% below business-as-usual levels by 2035, Mohamud said. The government will deliver 5 percentage points from its own resources, while the remaining 29 points depend on international support. He said Somalia's adaptation needs are estimated at 6.3 billion through 2035.
He also said the government approved a national El Niño preparedness plan in September, bringing federal, state and local authorities into a shared framework for action.