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The UN Resident Coordinator for Somalia, Max Gaylard, has said it is time to look at fresh ways of tackling challenges facing the country.
A statement from his office, issued in connection with a meeting in the Somaliland capital Hargeysa, noted that at least one in 10 Somalis was "chronically vulnerable". These included returning refugees, minority groups, economic migrants and the urban poor, as well as more than 320,000 internally displaced.
The meeting from 22-24 July - which brings together experts from the UN, Somalia, the region and the international community - is expected to come up with a "national strategy for action" to help hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people.
"This is a complex task, but I think the time has come to look at fresh ways of tackling the challenges," Gaylard said. "We want to bring together everyone who can help."
Actions envisaged by the UN and its partners include assisting the Somali authorities and civil society organisations "to identify and target vulnerable populations in desperate need of immediate basic services such as water, sanitation, health and education", the statement said.
It noted, however, that parts of Somalia remained "off-limits" to aid agencies due to insecurity, "and this constitutes one of the main obstacles to reaching the vulnerable on a consistent basis".
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