UN General Assembly
2020

In Somalia, our government and people have worked closely together to mitigate the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like most governments across the world, we prioritized the health of our citizens and did as much as possible to save lives. Through direct medical provision and consistent, updated and effective public health information, our government did its utmost to keep our population as safe as possible. COVID-19 cases, which were rising quickly at the early stages of the pandemic, have fallen steadily as a result of our government’s swift actions. Again, this successful response would not have been possible without the effective partnership between our government, citizens and international partners. I want to pay special tribute to all of our courageous and dutiful health personnel who risked their lives to save others. I also recognize the patience and contribution of the Somali private sector, which worked with the government to keep the economy functioning, providing vital services to the Somali people at the most critical hour of need.