Monday June 24, 2024 – (HMC)  The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced on Sunday that it has inked a 25-million-U.S.-dollar project to improve food security and resilience in Somalia.

FAO said the project, dubbed TRANSFORM, is a key component of the broader multi-partner Johwar Offstream Storage Program (JOSP). The project aims to rehabilitate critical infrastructure and promote climate-smart agriculture for smallholder farmers in Jowhar city in Hirshabelle state of Somalia.

FAO Country Representative Etienne Peterschmitt welcomed the new funding and highlighted its significance in contributing to enhanced food security and resilience for communities along the Shabelle River. “This collaborative model not only enhances the effectiveness of individual initiatives but also builds a sense of shared responsibility and collective action for the transformation of Somalia’s food system,” Peterschmitt said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

FAO said the project will support Somali farmers with flood protection and reliable irrigation, helping them use their land more productively and sustainably. It added that this effort includes developing a comprehensive JOSP governance plan, conducting environmental and social safeguarding studies, and addressing conflict mitigation, land tenure management, and durable solutions for displaced populations.

The project signing comes against the backdrop of the official JOSP launch in Jowhar on June 6, which is expected to enhance access to water for nearly 370,000 people across five districts, reduce flood risk for 1.5 million people, and mitigate drought impact for 1.65 million people.

TRANSFORM specifically contributes to three of JOSP’s objectives: the rehabilitation of core infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture and value chain development, and water resource management, governance, and community support.