By M.A. Egge
The tasks of the National Drought Relief committee are on course and progressing well.
This was revealed by the VP H.E. Mohamed Ali aw Abdi during the 30th session of the cabinet meeting of the council of ministers of the Republic of Somaliland.
It was chaired by the President of the Republic of Somaliland, H.E. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Irro who was flanked by his deputy on Wednesday.
The VP noted that despite the fact that the rains that poured over the week in the western parts of the country has somehow alleviated the acute water scarcity, the situation of basic food relief supplies was quite dire.
He also pointed out that the situation of lack of water in the eastern parts of the country was indeed severe.
The cabinet session saw various pertinent issues of state slated for the weekly discussions being pondered range from the national security and stability, general public services to passing a bill draft on Legal Aid Services, pro-bono matters.
According to press release by the Presidential spokesman Hussein Deyr, the points discussed at the 30th session included: –
š. National security and stability:
The Minister of Interior and Security, Hon. Abdalle Mohamed Arab, noted that the country’s general security and stability was calm and secure in every aspect, all over the country, except for the daily criminal misdemeanors acts that occur in society.
He pointed out that traffic accidents cause the most deaths in the nation.
š. Economy
The Minister of State for Finance and Economic Development, Hon. Ismail Mawlid Abdillahi, briefed the cabinet on the progress of the revenue collection process.
He said that the Ministry has strengthened the acceleration of national revenue from domestic taxes.
He added that the National Financial Management Accounting System (FMIS) has been implemented in the ministries and agencies of the Central Government, government coffers institutions and local governments.
The Minister also informed the House that the preparation of the 2026 National Budget and all the previous provisions stipulated in the Financial Management Law, Law LR: 75/2016 are progressing smoothly.
3. National Drought Relief efforts
The reports on the efforts were given by the Vice President who chairs the national Drought Relief Committee, H.E. Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, who said that the drought relief activities led by the government are progressing well.
He observed that rains have fallen in some parts of the Western Regions of the country, which has helped somewhat in alleviating the serious water shortage situation in those areas, but the food shortage situation remains the same.
On the other hand, the VP said that there is dire water shortage in many parts of the Eastern Regions, which needs to be addressed urgently.
4. Modernization of state ICT and bolstering E-Government systems
The Minister of Communications and Technology Hon. Jamaal Mohamed Jama, reported that the Ministry has developed a plan to reform the systems of government institutions, and has also held meetings with various ministries that have such systems.
On the other hand, the Minister informed the cabinet that his Ministry:
* Has created specialized experts specifically for Government Technology tasks,
* That a tool has been developed to identify the needs of the Ministries in order to obtain official data,
* That the Ministries should work on the impact of the systems they need,
* That the systems currently used by the Ministries should be worked on so that they can be accessed and their security ensured.
He revealed that the construction of the National Data Center (Somaliland National Data Center), which will begin this year.
š. Health:
The session was briefed by the Minister of Health Development, Hon. Dr. Hussein Bashir Hirsi, who said that in general, traffic accidents are the most common cause of death in the country. He named water tankers as major culprits.
The Minister said that this issue is a major burden for the Ministry of Health, and underpinned the need to have a National Plan to address the matter.
6. Aviation and Airports Development:
The Minister of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Development Hon. Fu’ad Ahmed Nuh shared with the Council an in-depth report on the Ministry’s activities in the first 6 months of 2025, detailing the achievements during the period, the most important of which were:
1. Reforming the Ministry’s Administrative Structure, Laws and Policies.
2. Strengthening the Civil Aviation Department.
3. Construction of Terminal 2 at Hargeisa Airport which will be opened soon.
4. Training of Ministry and Airport Staff.
5. Reconstruction and Equipment of the Ministry and Airport Headquarters.
6. Increasing the allowances of Airport and Ministry staff.
7. Completion of the Renovation and Construction Design of the Capitalās Airport.
The Minister stated that he shared with the United Nations Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) the position of the Republic of Somaliland on aviation matters, and informed the United Nations Political Office, the African Union, the European Union, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that the Republic of Somaliland has full authority and independence over its own aviation and its administrative management.
7. Approval of Legal Aid Services Law:
This law, which is to enhance access to justice for citizens of Somaliland, was presented to the Council by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Yoonis Ahmed Yoonis.
After a long debate and analysis, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Somaliland approved the Legal Aid Service Law by a unanimous vote, with no one objecting nor remaining silent.
At the end of the 30th Session of the Council of Ministers, the President of the Republic of Somaliland commended the Ministries that today reported on their achievements over the past 6 months, namely:
1. Ministry of Youth and Sports,
2. Ministry of Energy and Minerals,
3. Ministry of Livestock and Rural Development,
4. Ministry of Agricultural Development,
5. Ministry of Parliamentary Relations and Constitutional Affairs,
6. Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Development.