By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The administration of President Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo is engaged in efforts to relieve water shortages in the rural areas of Somaliland.
This was informed by the minister of Water Development Hussein Ahmed Abdala during a briefing to Elders of Guurti the Somaliland’s upper chamber of parliament where he also revealed that $4m has been withdrawn from the Somaliland Development Fund-SDF Account for the purpose.
“In close collaboration with a presidential water development committee my ministry has already finalized arrangements for commencement of activities geared towards alleviating water shortages mostly in the countries rural areas under funding from both the SDF and European Union” said Minister Abdala
The presidential water development committee which is chaired by the Minister of Water development includes the minister of planning Dr Saad Ali Shire and presidency minister Hirsi Haji Ali while individual mayors are incorporated when projects are under implementation in their respective domains.
The Elders were also give a detailed briefing on recent activities in Nairobi where the minister of water development Hussein Ahmed Abdala met and held fruitful discussions with a number of international donors notably GIZ the German foreign development agency which is set for arrival in the country on the 14th of April 2014.
The briefing by the water minister to Guurti where the elders also grilled him is a constitutionally mandatory doing that requires ministers and parastatal chiefs to appear before both Guurti and House of Representatives to inform on activities pertinent responsibilities as well as grilling by Elders and legislators.
Water, livestock, roads and the environment are the sectors targeted by SDF which is a multi-donor fund supported by Denmark, Norway and the UK.
Read the full report of Water minister’s visit to Nairobi
Somaliland: SDF Targets Specific Sectors – UK Government
Somaliland: SDF 2014 Strategic Planning Initiated
Somaliland: The SDF, What it is and How it Works
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