Maanta Media

In a distressing development, flash floods, triggered by heavy rains, have wreaked havoc in the Baidoa district of southwestern Somalia, resulting in the displacement of approximately 107,000 people, according to a statement released by the United Nations' humanitarian agency on Sunday. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations (OCHA) reported that numerous homes, including improvised shelters housing more than 86,700 internally displaced people across 136 displacement sites in Baidoa, were submerged in floodwaters. These flash floods mark the onset of the October to December rainy season in Somalia, which is expected to bring above-normal rains and increased flooding due to the influence of El-Nino conditions in the region, as stated by OCHA in its latest update. Somalia has already endured five seasons of drought since mid-2021, leading to the displacement of over 1.4 million people and the loss of 3.8 million livestock. The recent heavy rains ...

In a significant development for the East African nation, the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) announced on Sunday that Ziraat Katilim Bank of Turkey has established its presence by opening a branch in Mogadishu. This marks a historic occasion as the Turkish financial institution becomes the first international bank to operate in Somalia in over half a century. The establishment of Somalia's first foreign bank branch has the potential to bring about a positive transformation in the country's financial sector. This transformation is expected to result from increased economic opportunities and expanded trade relations between Somalia and its international partners. "The new branch of Ziraat Katilim Bank in Somalia is expected to offer a wide range of corporate banking services to businesses, international institutions, and development partners," stated the Central Bank of Somalia in a press release issued in Mogadishu. The journey to this milestone began in 2022 when the C...

In a significant stride towards combating the persistent threat of desert locusts, Somalia has ascended to a pivotal position as the seventeenth member of the Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region under the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This milestone membership, marked on Wednesday, solidifies Somalia's commitment to manage and mitigate the devastating impact of locusts on agriculture and food security. According to the FAO's assessments, Somalia has demonstrated remarkable advancements in constructing national institutional and technical capacities for locust management since 2020, with substantial assistance from the FAO and other partners. Shoki AlDobai, the team leader for FAO's Locusts and other Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases, emphasized Somalia's significance as a critical breeding ground for locusts. AlDobai highlighted that Somalia's inclusion in the Commission would not only benefit the country...

In a significant move to address the ongoing security challenges in Somalia, Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre has taken the initiative to engage clerics and religious leaders in the fight against extremist ideologies. The Prime Minister inaugurated a conference in Mogadishu, emphasizing the critical role of clerics in promoting peace, reconciliation, and countering extremist ideologies within the nation. During the conference, Prime Minister Barre stressed the importance of collaboration between the government, intellectuals, clerics, and the people to address the various challenges facing Somalia. He highlighted the pivotal role that clerics and Imams play in raising public awareness and countering the extremist narratives propagated by groups like al-Shabaab and ISIS in the region. "I urge you to engage in reconciliation, stabilization, state-building, and the finalization of the constitution," Prime Minister Barre stated, highlighting the government's achievements in co...