Welcome to the Postcard from Somalia blog.

The worst humanitarian crisis seen in Somalia in nearly 20 years continues to unfold. Sparse rains, a spike in global food prices, and chronic insecurity in Somalia’s south have resulted in famine across parts of the country, taking tens of thousands of lives, mostly children under five, and putting millions more at risk. Even before this, state collapse and 20 years of civil war had driven Somalia’s human development indicators to global lows and today the average person can only expect to reach 50 years of age.

Yet, despite this, pockets of stability are emerging in Somalia. And we believe that greater recovery and development investments can help make progress on peace and reduce people’s vulnerability over the long-term.

This blog focuses on the recovery and development efforts underway in those parts of Somalia where access is possible. These efforts are being undertaken not only by organizations like the United Nations Development Programme, but also by non-government organizations, communities, the private sector and young people. Each month this space will feature an opinion or experience from our staff, partners and experts who are working on recovery and development issues in Somalia. We would like to invite you to meet them, and to learn more about the recovery and development efforts underway, and to join the discussion here on this page.

Today more than one million, or 14% of Somalis, live abroad. These people make a major contribution to the Somali economy and livelihoods through remittances, humanitarian assistance and participation in recovery and reconstruction efforts. In particular we are interested in reaching out to those of you who make up this vital community of support for Somalia.

We look forward to sharing with you views and experiences about hope and progress in today’s Somalia.