Mogadishu, 11 December 2017 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, via the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, is making a contribution of 3 million Euros towards the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)’s new Country Programme for Somalia over the period 2017-2020.

In partnership with UNFPA, this generous contribution will support the Federal Government of Somalia’s efforts in reducing maternal deaths, unmet need for birth spacing, and ending violence and harmful practices against women and girls.

The Ambassador of Italy to Somalia HE Mr. Carlo Campanile said: “by financing the UNFPA Somalia Country Program 2018 – 2020, Italy shows not only its firm commitment to address all the main sexual and reproductive health issues. We also want to reaffirm our strong will to do it in close partnership with the Federal Government and the Federal Member States. We have enthusiastically embraced the support of UNFPA CPD 2018 – 2020 because this is being financed by a number of other bilateral donors and because it has been endorsed through the SDRF mechanism.  We strongly believe that only creating a critical mass we can really provide the required contribution to improve the well-being of the Somali population.”

 “The Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member States share a decisive role in securing the sustainability of the progress achieved so far and in promoting population health; ensuring an unhindered access to health facilities; providing a regulatory framework of the health service and so forth. If all of this will be achieved and if the social pact with the citizens will be fulfilled, the chance for this Government to meet its vision, as stated in the National Development Plan of a "Strong, peaceful, democratic and stable state capable enough of delivering basic services to its citizens and committed to protect their fundamental rights" will come true,” said HE Mr. Campanile.

The UNFPA Representative, Mr. Nikolai Botev, said the funding from Italy is fundamental in contributing to Somalia’s social and human development, particularly in the National Development Plan (NDP) areas of health, youth, gender and resilience capacity building.

“We are very thankful to the Government of Italy and the Italian people for this very generous funding which comes at a critical moment when UNFPA is reaffirming its efforts to ensuring reproductive health and rights for all. Women, youth and populations affected by the humanitarian crisis will be the programme’s primary targets,” said Mr. Botev.

Mr. Botev restated UNFPA’s commitment to supporting increased availability and use of integrated sexual and reproductive health services with a focus on maternal and newborn health, which are gender-responsive and meet the human rights standards for quality of care and equity in access.

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For more information, please contact:

Ms. Pilirani Semu-Banda, Communications Specialist, UNFPA Somalia, Tel: +254 734500439; semu-banda@unfpa.org