FAO to transfer development data to Somalia

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has agreed to transfer critical data in its custody to the Federal Republic of Somalia. This follows an agreement between FAO and the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS). This will result in a three-phased data transfer and analysis capability relating to food security, nutrition, markets, livestock, livelihoods, and natural resources to SNBS. Under the agreement, FAO will also provide technical assistance and institutional capacity development support to several departments of the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia. These include the Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM), which will benefit from the knowledge acquired by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) of FAO. 

The agreement aims to build the capacity of Somali public agencies to collect data, update it, and develop independent platforms for hosting information, publications, and datasets. Once the data and knowledge transfer is complete, it will contribute to Somalia’s capacity to produce and disseminate quality statistics related to food security, nutrition, environmental and natural resources. It will also help the country get early warning systems to combat the effects of climate change