The European Commission has pledged a €100M grant to the Somali government over the next two and a half years, to support reforms in the country and strengthen government institutions.
The money will help the Somali government build a “unified, federal state”, which is expected to help build resilience to future shocks and improve service delivery.
“The budget support gives the government resources to implement reforms and build a stronger state able to deliver basic services to its people,” Neven Mimica, EU commissioner for International Cooperation and Development said.
European Commission’s Director-General for International Cooperation and Development, Stefano Manservisi, @stefanomanservi and the Prime Minister of Somalia, Hassan Ali Khayre today signed an agreement to provide € 100 million to Somali budget in the next 2.5 years. pic.twitter.com/qYoX7kjppp
— EU Del in Somalia (@EU_in_Somalia) October 14, 2018
Somalia has been plagued by an Islamist insurgency for nearly a decade, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands and displacing millions others, while also crippling government service delivery across almost all sectors.
Al-Qaeda affiliated militant group, al-Shabaab, has launched frequent terror attacks in the Horn of African country in a bid to topple the government.
Regional and international troops have however camped base in Somalia in efforts to rid the country of the militants and instil peace.
The war, coupled with recurrent droughts, has condemned more than half of the country’s population to poverty, crippling the agricultural sector.
Part of the European Commission grant will be channeled towards the revival of the agricultural sector, alongside the improvement services like education and healthcare.
