MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) – Over the decades, the United States has been committed to addressing Somalia’s conflict and climate-borne humanitarian challenges. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided over $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance to Somalia since 2022 to mitigate the impact of droughts and floods.
Despite many challenges, these efforts have positively impacted the Somali people—both in Somalia and the diaspora—offering hope to many lives.
However, a significant concern is that many Somalis remain unaware of these engagements. The U.S. government has not clearly and directly communicated its actions to local communities in Somalia. This lack of communication, combined with the overshadowing of humanitarian assistance by U.S. counter-extremism programs, creates mistrust rather than bridging it.
Through a series of interviews with various segments of Somali society, including journalists, NGO leaders, women’s groups, religious figures, youth entrepreneurs, and academics, different views and recommendations have emerged. These interviews were part of a radio podcast program hosted by the Somali Journalists Syndicate, airing in both Maay and Maxaa Tiri—Somalia’s two main dialects spoken by the country’s nearly 18 million population.
Mogadishu-based Abdikarin Mohamed, a youth leader, suggested that it was time for the U.S. government and its agencies, such as USAID, to allocate a significant portion of their funding to address recurrent climate shocks and invest in programs that change lives, such as women’s health.
“Despite having rivers and abundant water, Somalia frequently experiences floods and recurring droughts. Additionally, the government is weak. I believe that the aid provided to Somalia should be doubled to address maternal and child health issues and to tackle climate change. This would make the cooperation between Somalia and the U.S. truly beneficial,” Abdikarin said.
University lecturer Mohamud Mad Aden from Baidoa emphasized the importance of transparency in any humanitarian and developmental assistance. He suggested that the U.S. government focus on programs that strengthen accountability and fight corruption.
“Even within the humanitarian sector, not all support is given to those who need it most. The aid is usually diverted from its intended beneficiaries. The government in Somalia remains corrupt; therefore, the U.S. support programs must have monitoring and follow-up to ensure that all communities equally receive the support and benefit from it,” Mohamud Mad Aden said.
Somalia is one of the poorest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 69% of the population lived below the standard international poverty line of $1.90.
Violent extremist groups like Al-Shabaab and clan militia groups, fueled by corruption, a non-existent governance system, marginalization against certain communities, and recurrent climate shocks, persist. As a result, local food production has reduced significantly.
Regions like Baay and Bakool, where Mohamud Mad Aden comes from, remain the most affected by these challenges.
“Empowering the communities, especially the young population with the education they need, is one step to overcome these challenges,” he added.
Ismahan Mohamed Hassan, who works at the SIMAD Lab in Mogadishu, believes that skilled youth with opportunities can create their own jobs as entrepreneurs. However, the main challenge is that the youth lack the necessary skills for the job market, even though they have graduated from schools or universities.
“About 70% of the young graduates stay unemployed because of lack of skills. Every year between 20,000 to 30,000 graduate from the local universities but there are no jobs available for them,” Ismahan said. “I urge the U.S.-Somalia partnership to establish programs for local skill-based labs to give opportunities to the youth. Once they get the skills and are given the investment, many entrepreneurs are ready to create jobs for themselves and others.”
Unemployment and poverty in Somalia have forced many young people to emigrate in search of a better life through perilous journeys across deserts and seas. A UN study in 2012 found that the unemployment rate for youths in Somalia is one of the highest in the world at 67% among all 14 to 29-year-olds—61% among men and 74% among women.
The study further noted that 40% of youths are actively looking for work, while 21% are neither working nor in school. The unemployed or discouraged group is the most disadvantaged and most vulnerable to risky and criminal behaviors.
There are other critical issues that need to be addressed. The U.S. government needs to transparently communicate with locals about its activities in Somalia so that local communities can understand U.S. involvement in the country as a positive force.
“A lot of people—especially ordinary citizens—see the U.S. involvement in Somalia through the lens of fighting Al-Shabaab. But there are many other programs that USAID is doing. What I see here is the failure of USAID and the U.S. government to better and strategically communicate with the locals,” said Abdirahman Adani, a journalist at Arlaadi Media.
Journalist Adani also noted that the U.S. government must do more to support media freedom in Somalia by empowering local journalists’ initiatives and advocating for journalists’ safety and freedom.
“I also suggest that the U.S. government should strengthen its support towards media freedom because an independent and capable media can better inform the local community and play an important role in security awareness and debunking disinformation,” he added.
Locals such as Habibo Ali in Beledweyne city of Hiiraan region want the U.S. government to support projects to prevent flooding that causes displacement for her family.
“Every year we are forced to flee our homes in Beledweyne and the problem is the flooding that submerges our homes. After so many efforts, nobody came to fix the river banks that cause flooding. We would like to see the USAID initiative to build the river banks and stop flooding,” she said during a radio call-in program broadcast by Codka Hiiraan radio.
The Secretary General of the Somali Journalists Syndicate, Abdalle Mumin, mentioned that the radio interviews provided new insights about the local perspectives on U.S. involvement in Somalia.
“Local communities usually have high expectations and they want to hear what is important for them. Two issues that came out from these programs are that people want international humanitarian assistance, but they also want transparency and accountability,” Mumin said. “It is true that a lot of humanitarian and developmental programs are not seen or covered because simply those implementing did not explain to the beneficiaries due to many factors, or the donors such as USAID did not communicate effectively. I think it is time for a change.”