MOGADISHU — The Federal Government of Somalia has announced plans to construct 10,000 housing units intended for internally displaced persons (IDPs), in what officials describe as part of a broader effort to recover and manage public land, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Member of Parliament Abdirisak Omar said the initiative is linked to ongoing government discussions on the restoration of “Danta Guud” (public interest land), much of which has been occupied or informally settled during decades of conflict and displacement in the capital and other parts of the country.
Speaking on the issue of state land management, the legislator noted that the housing programme aims to provide long-term resettlement solutions for vulnerable families who have been living in makeshift settlements, often without access to basic services such as clean water, sanitation, and secure shelter.
“The government is working on a plan to build 10,000 housing units for displaced people as part of efforts to reorganize public land and improve living conditions for vulnerable communities,” he said, without providing a detailed timeline for implementation.
Somalia has one of the largest internally displaced populations in the Horn of Africa, driven by a combination of armed conflict, drought, and flooding. Many IDPs live in overcrowded camps in and around Mogadishu, where humanitarian conditions remain fragile.
Authorities have in recent years stepped up efforts to regulate land use in the capital, but the process has often been complicated by legal disputes, informal settlements, and competing claims over property ownership.
No official date has yet been announced for the start of construction, and further details on funding and implementation are expected to be released by the government in the coming period.
