Turkey plants trees in arid Somalia

Image

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Through Turkish sponsorship, students, Turks, and Somalis came out in large numbers Wednesday to mark National Forestation Day by planting trees in the capital of arid Somalia.

“We celebrated National Forestation Day in Mogadishu with the support of @tikasomalia and with the participation of Maarif Schools, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences. Planted tree saplings in order to build a green future for our world,” the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu said in a post on its Facebook page.

According to a statement by the UN, Somalia generally has an arid to semi-arid climate. Rainfall in the country is low and has high spatial and temporal variability.

The terrain of Somalia consists of mainly arid and semi-arid plateaus, plains, and highlands. Arid and semi-arid lands make up more than 80% of Somalia’s landmass.

The initiative by the Turkish people was aimed at rehabilitating the ecosystem to bring back the tree population in the country, where the few trees that are available have been mostly felled through deforestation for firewood, shelter, and fencing.

Related Articles

International Partners Weigh Sanctions and Policy Shifts as Somalia’s Political Crisis Deepens

The group collectively condemned the lack of inclusivity in these political shifts, according to the sources at the meeting.

  • Somalia

    07-05-2026

  • 11:01AM

Somalia on edge as opposition calls mass protests amid deadly clashes in Mogadishu

The federal government has not yet publicly responded to the opposition’s accusations or the reported casualties from the clashes.

  • Somalia

    07-05-2026

  • 10:52AM