MOGADISHU, Somalia 

Somalia has trained around 200 staff members of the Somali National Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) with the help of Türkiye who received essential first aid skills for health-related emergency response scenarios.

The month-long training program was held at Mogadishu Somali Türkiye Training and Research Hospital in the capital, which is also known as Erdogan Hospital.

Senior Somali government officials including Interior Minister Ali Yusuf and Somali Disaster Management Agency Commissioner Mohamud Moalim Abdulle attended the closing ceremony of the training on Sunday.

Turkish Ambassador to Somalia Alper Aktas and the head of the Turkish Red Crescent in Somalia, Serif Simsek, also attended.

The objective of the training is to prepare the agency’s staff to handle emergency response situations during disasters and major emergencies and to provide first medical assistance to the victims, according to a statement issued by SoDMA.

Yusuf thanked Turkish organizations for “their unwavering support and urged the staff to make use of the skills they received to help people.”

Aktas also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to continuing the provision of training courses to enhance the capacity of Somali government employees.

Türkiye, a close ally of Somalia, has invested in its education, infrastructure and health and provided it extensive humanitarian aid.

Türkiye has its largest embassy in Africa in Mogadishu and built its largest overseas military facility there to train the Somali National Army.