By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU — Somalia’s federal Cabinet on Thursday approved four major agreements and endorsed a new legal framework aimed at strengthening national disaster preparedness, as ministers reviewed worsening drought conditions affecting water and food supplies across the country.
The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, focused on the humanitarian impact of ongoing drought in several regions. Officials outlined urgent response measures as communities face deepening shortages of water and food.
Ministers approved the Regulation of the National Risk and Disaster Management Fund, a measure designed to establish a unified legal and administrative system for disaster preparedness, prevention and response. The framework covers both natural and human-made disasters and emphasizes coordination between government institutions and local communities.
The Cabinet also ratified a bilateral agreement between Somalia and Turkey on enhanced cooperation in maritime affairs, the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006 setting standards for working conditions of seafarers, the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks of 2007 addressing hazards posed by shipwrecks in territorial waters, and the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships of 1969 standardizing how ships are measured for regulatory purposes.
In addition, the Cabinet received a detailed briefing from the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants. The committee outlined the scale of irregular migration affecting Somali youth and highlighted the severe risks involved, including death, injury, detention, abuse and exploitation.
Officials warned that human smuggling continues to endanger young Somalis seeking opportunities abroad and poses long-term consequences for both individuals and national development. The government said it would intensify public awareness efforts and strengthen enforcement measures to curb trafficking networks while expanding protection for vulnerable people.
