Climate: Somalia
Key Facts
—Who: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia’s head of state, speaking at COP31, the 31st UN climate conference
—What: He says Somalia needs about US$6.3 billion through 2035 to adapt to climate change
—Context: The same US$6.3 billion figure was presented at COP30, last year’s UN climate conference, in November 2025
—Open: The start year, donor pledges and the split between grants and loans are not known
—As of: 12 November 2026
Somalia’s president told world leaders at COP31 that his country needs about US$6.3 billion through 2035 to adapt to a harsher climate.
A Plea at the COP31 Climate Talks
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somalia’s head of state, addressed world leaders on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at the leaders’ session of COP31, the 31st UN climate conference, in Antalya, Türkiye. He said Somalia needs about US$6.3 billion through 2035 to finance climate adaptation.
No official transcript of the speech was available to us, so we report it as media accounts of his remarks. Our explainer on who wants what in Somalia gives the wider political background.
He asked for climate finance mainly as grants rather than loans.
What the President Asked of Lenders
He urged international financial institutions and climate funds to simplify their application procedures. He also asked for eligibility criteria that reflect how exposed a country is to climate hazards.
He said Somalia adds only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions but is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. The talks in Antalya, running from 9 to 20 November 2026, cover climate finance, adaptation, emissions cuts and the Paris Agreement, the global climate pact.
The Number Is Not New
The US$6.3 billion figure first appeared a year earlier. On Friday 7 November 2025 at COP30, last year’s UN climate conference in Belém, Brazil, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama presented a US$6.3 billion national adaptation plan.
Jama asked for “more grants, fewer loans, faster access”. So the 2026 speech repeated the figure rather than raising it.
Jama also said Somalia had accessed only about US$300 million by 2020, under 1% of needs, and put direct climate-related losses at US$2.8 billion. Those two figures come from a single report of his speech.
The plan’s priorities were early warning systems, climate-smart agriculture, resilient health services, climate-proof infrastructure, and empowering women and youth.
What This Means for You
Somalia is a fragile state, and climate shocks can add to displacement and hunger. Our reports on river flooding in southern Somalia and on the US leaving an air base in Somalia cover the risks on the ground and the security side.
What Is Not Known
The exact cost table and the source document behind the figure in the president’s speech are not known, and the start year of the period is not stated in his reported words. Nor is it known which donors have pledged, or what part is already funded.
How much would come as grants and how much as loans is also unknown. The Green Climate Fund, a UN-backed climate fund, announced a US$100 million investment partnership with Somalia in March 2024, separate from the US$6.3 billion request.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Somalia say it needs for climate adaptation?
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Wednesday 11 November 2026 that Somalia needs about US$6.3 billion through 2035 for climate adaptation.
Is the US$6.3 billion figure new?
No. Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama presented a US$6.3 billion national adaptation plan at COP30 on Friday 7 November 2025. The 2026 speech repeated it.
What does Somalia want from climate funders?
It wants climate finance mainly as grants rather than loans, and simpler application procedures with eligibility rules that reflect a country’s exposure to climate hazards.
What is still unknown about the funding request?
The start year, the source document for the figure, donor pledges, the grants-to-loans split and the share already funded are all not known.
Sources
Reports of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s address to COP31, Antalya, 11 November 2026; reports of Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama’s address to COP30, Belém, 7 November 2025; Green Climate Fund announcement, March 2024.
Connected Coverage
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