NEWLY INAUGURATED LIVESTOCK MARKETS EXPECTED TO INCREASE MARKET OPPORTUNTIES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
Gardo, Somalia, 21st August 2022 – The President of Puntland State of Somalia, H.E Said Abdullahi Deni, has inaugurated a new livestock market facility in Gardo, Puntland. The market, will improve access to market, trade and livelihoods for pastoralists in Somalia.
The facility, the first of its kind in Gardo district, consists of several sections, including Certification Points, Quarantine Units, Regional Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory with disease surveillance capabilities, Animal Husbandry facilities and an administrative block.
This project which include construction of the livestock markets, boreholes, roads and other infrastructure has been funded by the African Development Bank Group (AFDB) through Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) under the “Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Program” and has been implemented by Save the Children in Somalia.
The market facilities will play a significant role in government’s efforts to build the resilience of the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Puntland. In Somalia, livestock forms the biggest part of the economy, with over 65% [1]of the population engaged in some way in the industry and accounts for 80% of the country's exports.
Representatives from the African Development Bank, officials from Puntland State, the local community, and Save the Children Country Director attended the inauguration ceremony.
During the event, H.E Said Abdullahi Deni, the President of Puntland State of Somalia, said:
"This is a significant step towards building the resilience of communities in Puntland and, in general, Somalia. Access to market and trade is an important policy agenda for the government as this will provide livelihood support not only to pastoral communities but also to urban communities, improve livelihoods and help pastoralist families get access livestock market opportunities.”
"We hope such facilities will improve resilience and livelihoods of pastoralist families who is struggling with recurrent droughts and help them make savings to cope climate-induced crisis like droughts.
"And lastly, I thank the African Development Bank Group (AFDB), and Intergovernmental Authority for Development.
Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, Save the Children Somalia Programme Country Director:
"This is part of our efforts to enhance resilience of the communities in Somalia to cope with the impacts of clime-shocks and cyclic droughts. The project is not only building livestock markets but is also investing in infrastructures, like feeder-roads, which will improve access to the markets for pastoralist communities.
"Save the Children is committed to continue working with the government in ensuring that systems and policies are in place to help children survive, learn and be protected. Building the resilience of the communities through livestock infrastructure will enable us to achieve this objective.”
About the Project
The Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Program (DRSLP) is a program financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), which is being implemented in Somalia and targets over 1,505,959 people and four million animals. The project is geared toward building resilience and sustainable livelihoods for pastoral and Agro-pastoral communities in drought-prone areas of Somalia.
The overall goal of the project is to contribute to poverty reduction and accelerated economic growth on a sustainable basis in Somalia. This will be achieved by investing in natural resources (water, pasture) management, integrated land management, and ecosystem restoration and protection, as well as rebuilding agricultural and livestock infrastructures. The programme's medium- and long-term goal is to stabilize the pastoral and Agro-pastoral production systems and improve the livelihoods and resilience of the production systems.
