Ambassador: Housing, social inclusion, and development inseparable concepts

Housing, social inclusion, and development are inseparable concepts, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, Somalia's Ambassador to Kenya, said during the event under the theme In Search of Best Solutions for Sustainable Housing and Resilient Cities: Voices from Cities held within the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

The ambassador stated that homelessness and housing shortages create serious social stigma in many societies: "For people to move forward in life, they first need a home they feel belongs to them. Without housing, other problems cannot be solved. In post-conflict countries like Somalia, conflict has led to long-term displacement, trauma, and weak institutions. Therefore, housing policy in the country is shaped by historical and social challenges."

Abdulle added that during periods of weak state institutions, the private sector and diaspora played a crucial role in Somalia's housing sector: "Business circles and the Somali diaspora supported housing construction. Since the state faced economic and institutional problems, other actors tried to fill this gap. Land management and legal regulation remain among Somalia's main challenges. Having lived under a state property system for many years, the subsequent changes in land relations created new problems. We are now working on land accessibility and regulatory mechanisms."

He also pointed out that the Somali government initially prioritized low-income populations and thousands of internally displaced persons: "In cities like Baidoa, thousands of houses have been built. First, we tried to meet the urgent housing needs of people, and later, with the support of the private sector, we moved to the next stage."