MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on Saturday launched a nationwide social safety net programme, which is better known as “Baxnaano”, to help protect the poor and vulnerable families.
The Baxnaano program is funded with pre-arrears clearance grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank as an integral part of the National Social Protection Policy, which is being carried out under the leadership of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA).
The Baxnano programe is intended to provide cash transfers to targeted poor and vulnerable households and establish the key building blocks of a national shock-responsive safety net system.
The manager of Baxnaano Programe Ms Fardowso Ahmed Abdullahi has underlined that the programme as part of national social protection policy envisages a longer-term development approach that builds the government’s capacity to take the lead in delivering social protection interventions for Somali people in the next 20 years and also stressed that it will gradually move the country away from the current humanitarian regime.
Abdirahman Duale Beyle, Minister of Finance of the Federal Government of Somalia said the program is of great importance for the country, as it reaches vulnerable communities, and affirmed that its implementation is part of the ongoing debt relief efforts.
The Minister reiterated the importance of debt relief efforts as it opens the government the opportunity to secure such critically needed developmental funds from the International Financial Institutions (IFIs).
Labour minister and Social Affairs of the Federal Government of Somalia, Sadik Hirsi Warfa, described the inauguration of the program as a significant accomplishment for Somali people as they will be receiving direct assistance from the government for the first time, targeting the most vulnerable communities.
Warfa stressed the commitment of MOLSA in institutionalising a structure that guarantees assistance for the very poor and protect the vulnerable from livelihood risks with the express goal of creating effective and sustainable social safety nets and ladders out of poverty.
“The Baxnaano program is anticipated to target 200,000 poor and vulnerable households (approximately 1.3 million individuals) across the Federal Member States of Somalia and provide them with nutrition-linked cash transfer,” he said “The families will be able to use the money for their immediate needs, such as food and basic services. This programme will be executed in areas of fragility due to widespread poverty, acute drought and long-drawn-out conflicts and insecurity” said Minister Warfa.”
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