MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – World Bank is expected to help Somali government in urban development following talks between officials from Somalia and World Bank.
The Governor of Banadir region, Mr. Yusuf Hussein Jimale “Madaale”, has held talks with World Bank officials led by Mrs. Makiko Watanabe.
Watanabe is a Senior Urban Specialist in the Global Practice for Social, Urban, Rural, and Resilience at the World Bank, at the Mogadishu Municipal Headquarters.
The sides discussed the development plan for Mogadishu. Among the key areas discussed included road construction, water development and sewerage systems.
Other key takeaways included the importance of mixed-use affordable housing and inclusive solid waste management.
The meeting comes barely months after World Bank approved $50 million in additional financing through an International Development Association (IDA) Crisis Response Window (CRW) grant for the Somalia Urban Resilience Project Phase II (SURP-II).
This is meant to provide critical resources to scale-up the project’s ongoing support to a total of $70 million for drought-induced internally displaced persons (IDPs) flowing into urban centers and improve their access to basic services.
Somalia is on the brink of famine. Over 7.8 million people are estimated to be affected by severe water shortages.
A probable fifth consecutive failed rainy season could prolong drought conditions into 2023.
People are experiencing on average a 30% decline in income.
The increased inflow of IDPs due to the ongoing drought is exacerbating pressure on already overstretched cities. Mogadishu and Baidoa alone host more than half of the newly displaced.
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