Families in Ceel Jaalle village say their livelihoods once depended on farming, which now yields very little due to prolonged drought and shifting weather patterns. Their livestock has also been affected, while ongoing insecurity has further disrupted civilian life.

Journalist Aweys Mumin Hassan, one of the reporters who benefited from SJS training in climate change reporting, filed this report from Lower Shabelle. Watch on YouTube Here

As displacement toward border towns like Dhobley and Liboye increases, some families remain behind, holding on despite the lack of aid. Since December, their survival has largely depended on water deliveries funded by NGOs and local business people in Kismayo.

In this report, our colleague photojournalist Abdullahi Hussein Kilas, who was trained under SJS climate change reporting propgram, was able to document the crisis through a series of photos captured in villages west of Kismayo and on Kooyama Island.

READ the story on Kaab TV website HERE

Supported by Medico International, the training convened in Mogadishu from 30–31 December 2025 and brought together 10 local reporters from across Somalia and Somaliland, areas acutely affected by climate change. Thirty percent of the participants were women.

Nurto Mohamed Hassan, a journalist with Radio Warsan in Baidoa, South West State, described the training’s impact on her reporting.

“This training has transformed how I approach climate reporting. I now go beyond disaster coverage to produce stories that connect climate impacts with governance, accountability, and practical solutions,” she said.

Shukri Abi Abdi of Shabelle Media in Mogadishu highlighted the broader scope of climate reporting: “Climate change reporting is ultimately about people and justice. This program equipped us with practical tools to question policies, track climate-related actions, and show how vulnerable communities are disproportionately affected.”

Somalia currently hosts approximately four million people—about 20% of the population—in refugee or displacement camps. Human-induced climate change made the 2022–2023 drought 100 times more likely, leading to an estimated 43,000 excess deaths.

Journalists in Somalia and Somaliland often operate on the frontlines of crises, including environmental disasters, under extremely challenging conditions. Limited safety, restricted access to data, lack of editorial support, and threats from powerful actors benefiting from environmental exploitation severely constrain their ability to report on climate issues effectively.

Over the past two years, with support from Medico International, SJS has built a network of local journalists reporting on communities’ struggles to cope with climate shocks.

This training is a direct response to the challenges faced by Somali journalists. It aims to bridge knowledge gaps, enhance safety, and strengthen the professional capacity of reporters to deliver consistent, impactful coverage on climate change and climate justice. In the coming two years, SJS program will build on earlier initiatives that enhanced journalist resilience, freedom of expression, and protection mechanisms.

SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin emphasized the initiative’s broader significance of this program is to contributes to the global effort to promote climate justice, empowering the most vulnerable communities to tell their stories and help shape solutions through media reporting.

“Climate change reporting is not just about telling stories—it is about saving lives and providing communities with timely information to guide their daily decisions,” Abdalle Mumin said.

Mr. Mumin added, “Recurrent droughts, severe flooding, environmental degradation, and unpredictable rainfall continue to threaten livelihoods, food security, and stability. This underscores the critical need for informed, professional climate journalism to support public understanding and policy accountability. The training deepened participants’ understanding of climate change and climate justice while equipping them with practical skills for accurate, ethical, and impactful reporting.”

Following the training, participants will continue to receive ongoing mentorship, guidance, and support to strengthen their future reporting on climate issues. Through this mentorship program, SJS aims to develop a strong network of climate-informed journalists capable of contributing meaningfully to public discourse and supporting climate resilience across Somalia and Somaliland.

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