The Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Ugochi Daniels, has wrapped up a four-day mission to Somalia, sounding the alarm on the deepening climate and displacement crisis unfolding in the region.
"The people of Somalia are living through some of the harshest impacts of the climate crisis - which is driving internal displacement, straining cities already under pressure, and fuelling tensions over dwindling resources," said DDG Daniels. "And they carry this burden despite contributing almost nothing to global emissions."
From the capital, Mogadishu, to the northern port city of Bossaso, DDG Daniels met with government officials, community leaders, women's groups, and IOM field teams to witness firsthand how Somali communities are grappling with relentless droughts, floods, and conflict - forces that have displaced some 3.6 million people and left almost half the population impacted by climate-related disasters.
Her visit highlighted both the scale of the crisis and the strength of local responses. "Somalia is not just a place of hardship - it's a testament to resilience," DDG Daniels said. "Communities here are driving innovative, homegrown solutions that tackle the impacts of the climate crisis while laying the groundwork for peace and stability. The world has much to learn from what's being achieved here."
At every stop, DDG Daniels emphasized the urgent need for international climate financing - including from the Green Climate Fund - to reach the communities and individuals that need it most. She pointed to IOM Somalia's holistic approach that bridges humanitarian relief with long-term recovery and resilience. This includes strengthening early warning systems and disaster preparedness, advancing social infrastructure and social protection mechanism, building climate-resilient infrastructure and basic services, or diversifying sustainable livelihoods.
In displacement sites, IOM is supporting community-led governance structures that give people a voice and a role in shaping their own recovery. Across rural and fragile areas, the organization is also promoting land restoration and environmental peacebuilding, helping to reduce resource-based tensions and build stability from the ground up.
In Bossaso, a major port city in Somalia's northern Puntland state, DDG Daniels highlighted how the climate crisis impacts are driving both internal displacement and cross-border migration. "What's unfolding here reflects a wider regional shift," she said. "Environmental stressors and economic hardship are major factors in reshaping mobility across the Horn of Africa and beyond. Stronger regional action is therefore essential."
The visit also showcased IOM's Co-Funding System, a model that empowers Somali communities to invest in their own development. In 2024 alone, communities contributed more than half a million dollars toward projects such as solar energy, clean water access, and small-scale farming - investments all matched by over USD 2 million from IOM. Women are leading much of this change: more than half of the water governance bodies supported by IOM now include female leaders, a testament to the critical role women play in building resilience and shaping recovery.
"This is what climate resilience looks like in practice - communities shaping their own future, with the world backing them up," DDG Daniels said. "But these efforts need sustained support. Cuts to humanitarian funding and reduced development resources threaten to undo years of progress and leave millions even more exposed."
As Somalia faces the realities of the climate and environmental crises, DDG Daniels left a clear message: "This isn't just about Somalia - it's a global reckoning. We can either invest in solutions now, or allow the most vulnerable to pay the price of inaction later. The world must not look away."
