MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s disaster management agency on Saturday dispatched 25 officials to China for specialized training on flood preparedness and emergency response, as authorities brace for the possibility of heavy seasonal rains linked to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The officials, drawn from the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) and humanitarian ministries from the country’s federal member states, were seen off at a ceremony in Mogadishu attended by SoDMA Commissioner Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle and regional disaster management ministers.
The training programme in China will focus on flood preparedness, prevention and response, with the aim of strengthening Somalia’s capacity to manage natural disasters.
The initiative comes as forecasters warn that the upcoming Deyr rainy season, influenced by El Niño conditions, could trigger flooding and flash floods in parts of Somalia, posing risks to vulnerable communities.
Addressing the departing officials, Abdulle urged them to demonstrate professionalism, discipline and patriotism during the training and to apply the knowledge and skills they acquire upon their return.
He said the expertise gained would help strengthen Somalia’s institutional capacity to prevent and respond to disasters, particularly flooding, which has repeatedly displaced communities and damaged infrastructure across the country.
