Nairobi — Somalia and Kenya on Tuesday opened an international forum on sustainable urban development, bringing together global agencies and African governments to discuss solutions for housing and settlement challenges in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
Somalia's Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur, and Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Lands and Housing, Alice Wahome, jointly inaugurated the conference, known as the Cities and Towns Learning Academy - Deep Dive on Sustainable Human Settlements in FCV Contexts. The event is organised by the World Bank, UN-Habitat and UNHCR.
Senior representatives from the organising agencies, international experts, and officials from six African countries attended the meeting. City mayors from Bosaso and Baidoa, along with a minister from Puntland, were also present.
The gathering aims to strengthen cooperation on resettling refugees and internally displaced people, improving access to social services and expanding durable housing initiatives. Participants discussed long-term strategies for environmental protection, housing finance and legal reforms related to displacement.
Somali officials said the conference comes at a critical time as the country struggles to address the needs of hundreds of thousands of displaced people requiring safe shelters, public services and resilient urban infrastructure.
