HE. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appointed Hon. Abdirahman Abdishakur as the Special Presidential Envoy for Drought Response in May 2022. A prominent figure in Somali politics, the Special Envoy was elected as a Member of the Somali Federal Parliament in February 2022 and had previously been a presidential candidate and the Minister of Planning and International Relations.
The Special Envoy aims to facilitate a stronger international, local and Government approach to prevention of, preparedness for and response to drought through awareness raising, resource mobilisation and policy advice. Since his appointment, the Special Envoy has been advocating for meaningful partnerships and greater resources to adequately address urgent needs in Somalia and help vulnerable people build their resilience while adapting to a new climate reality. As a result, greater engagement and contributions have been made by international donors to the drought response and to resilience building efforts.