By Asma Mohamud - Reporter
Azerbaijan,17 May 2026 Somalia warned Sunday that rapid urbanization, displacement and climate pressures are straining its cities, and called for more funding for resilient urban development.
Speaking at the 13th World Urban Development Forum in Azerbaijan, Somalia's Public Works Minister Ayuub Ismail Yusuf said the country was facing increasing challenges linked to population growth in cities, internal displacement and rising demand for housing and basic services.
“Housing is dignity. Housing is stability. Housing is economic opportunity. Housing is peacebuilding. Housing is resilience,” the minister said.
The forum, held under the theme “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Communities and Cities,” brought together government officials, urban planners and development agencies to discuss global urban challenges.
Ayuub said Somalia needed integrated urban planning policies capable of addressing displacement, infrastructure shortages and climate vulnerability.
“Fragmented systems cannot create resilient cities,” he said.
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Somalia also presented the Jazeera Coastal Development Initiative, a government-backed project aimed at developing climate-resilient and inclusive coastal urban communities.
Officials said the initiative targets nearly 10,000 housing units as part of broader efforts to improve urban infrastructure and strengthen community resilience.
The Somali government said affordable housing should be treated as an investment in stability, resilience and peace rather than humanitarian assistance alone.
Somalia has faced repeated displacement crises linked to conflict and climate shocks, with millions of people displaced internally by droughts, floods and insecurity, according to UN agencies.
The country has also experienced rapid urban population growth in recent years due to displacement, drought and economic migration, increasing pressure on housing, sanitation, roads and other public services in major cities including Mogadishu, Baidoa and Garowe.
Somalia’s population is estimated at more than 18 million people. Urbanization is accelerating as rural communities face growing climate-related shocks and insecurity.