Mogadishu, Dec 23 — Somalia’s parliament on Tuesday approved the federal government’s 2026 national budget, totaling $1.39 billion, during a joint session of both chambers in the capital, Mogadishu.
Lawmakers endorsed the budget amounting to $1,386,807,242 following a vote in which 174 MPs backed the plan, four voted against and one abstained, Speaker of the House of the People Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur (Madoobe) announced.
The chair of the Joint Budget Committee of the two chambers, MP Abdi Warsame Qowdhan, presented the third reading report, outlining the key assumptions and priorities underpinning the fiscal plan for the coming year.
The 2026 budget includes a specific allocation for drought management amid warnings that Somalia could face conditions similar to the devastating 2011 drought if seasonal rains fail.
Parliament’s budget committee said the Ministry of Finance proposed that the funds be used to address emergencies arising from drought-related crises.
MP Mohamed Harun Abdullahi, a member of parliament’s finance committee, said only $2.2 million had been earmarked for drought management and would be administered by a special committee.
Somalia remains highly vulnerable to climate shocks, with recurring droughts exacerbating humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa nation.
