Press Release

U.S. Gives $3.9 Million to increase access to clean water, education and basic healthcare for people of Southern Somalia

Nairobi, Kenya  | Friday, August 31, 2007

The U.S. Government contributed over $3.9 million to improve access to basic social services for the people of the southern region of Somalia.  The assistance package, known as the Social Service Delivery to Support Recovery and Stability in Southern Somalia, reaffirms the our strong commitment to support credible and legitimate governance institutions in Somalia and improve their ability to deliver basic social services to the Somali population. This program will be implemented by UNICEF, who received over $2.3 million to establish an urban water supply in Baidoa town and rural water points in Bay and Bakol regions in September 2006.  This new contribution brings the total of U.S. contributions to people of southern Somalia for water and social services to over $6.2 million.  

Somalia has experienced 16 years of conflict and chaos, and many failed attempts to achieve peace and stability.   As a result, children have been prevented from attending school, families from obtaining basic health services and clean water and local governments from effectively doing their job.   Currently, a mere 29% of the Somalis have access to clean drinking water, less than 27% of school-age children are enrolled in school and only 20% of the population has access to basic primary health services. Improving the daily lives and health of Somalis is investing in every family’s future while building a foundation for peace and stability. Over the next 14-months, with the support of the United States, access to basic services for Somalis living in the southern region will increase, with a particular focus to be placed on expanding service delivery in Mogadishu, security permitting.  

“As the Somali people move forward in reconciliation and peace-building, their access to basic services and education must also improve.  The U.S. support to Somalia’s recovery is comprehensive, recognizing that increased access to education, healthcare and water will contribute to sustainable peace,” said U.S. Special Envoy for Somalia, Ambassador John Yates.

The United States is one of the leading donors to Somalia.  Earlier this year, the United States committed over $6 million for the next two years, through UNDP, to support the Transitional Federal Institutions and local governance institutions to promote peace and security in Somalia and to support the National Reconciliation Congress which opened in Mogadishu on July 15th.  

For more information about USAID’s programs in Somalia, please visit http://eastafrica.usaid.gov.

                                                                          ###