Mired in 30 years of civil war, Somalia has slowly begun to get back on its feet in the last decade – leaving behind instability and insecurity – with help of the Turkish government, businesses, and nongovernmental organizations.
Turkey easily stands out as the country most sensitive to the crisis in Somalia, which was affected by violence, famine and drought. Turkey’s unprecedented engagement in Somalia started in 2011 as a response to the catastrophic famine that ravaged the country.
In a bid to alleviate the conditions of its people and provide them with tangible development programs, Turkish NGOs and government organizations have provided significant amounts of humanitarian and development aid.
Turkish organizations, including the Turkish Red Crescent the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), have so far provided aid worth more than $500 million, helping boost development in the country, according to Anadolu Agency (AA).
Turkey opened the Somali Agricultural School to raise agricultural engineers and awarded government scholarships to 118 Somalian students between 2016 and 2017.
Turkish Airlines has become the only airline to operate international flights to the country. The company also delivered 60 tons of aid to Somalia with its “#TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia” social media campaign in 2017.