Somalia’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Yusuf Mohamed Adan, joined Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama and senior officials from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in London for a high-level panel on social protection in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
The discussion, convened over the weekend, brought together policymakers, development partners, and experts to exchange experiences on how to design and implement inclusive social protection systems in countries grappling with conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crises.
Deputy PM Jama underlined that for Somalia, social protection is no longer a luxury but a necessity to safeguard vulnerable communities against recurring shocks. He noted that building systems capable of reaching people during emergencies—while also laying the foundation for long-term resilience—remains central to the government’s reform agenda.
Adan echoed this, stressing Somalia’s commitment to scaling up safety nets and community-based initiatives that protect the poorest households. He highlighted progress made through national programs that link humanitarian relief with longer-term development, while calling for sustained international partnership to fill critical gaps in funding and technical expertise.
Representatives from the UK FCDO emphasized their continued support for Somalia and other fragile states in building strong, transparent, and adaptive social protection systems. They pointed to the importance of coordination between governments, donors, and humanitarian actors to avoid duplication and ensure resources reach those most in need.
The panel concluded with agreement on practical steps to strengthen resilience, including expanding digital cash transfer systems, improving accountability mechanisms, and embedding social protection into broader national development strategies.
For Somalia, the dialogue marked another opportunity to showcase its reform progress while advocating for sustained global solidarity in addressing the challenges faced by fragile and conflict-affected nations.