Monday June 23, 2025
Officials from the Puntland Ministry of Agriculture and representatives from international agencies observe the registration of staff at the Qardho Desert Locust Monitoring and Control Centre
Garowe (HOL) — A World Bank–funded anti-locust program in Puntland is facing collapse following allegations of widespread corruption, unpaid wages, and financial mismanagement involving the region’s agriculture ministry.
The project, which was initially hailed as vital to preventing crop destruction across Puntland’s drought-prone regions, has reportedly not paid its staff for over eight months. Employees and security guards at the locust control center in Qardho blame Puntland’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mohamed Abdulkadir Salah, widely known as Doonyale, for the wage delays and alleged misappropriation of project funds.
Internal correspondence reviewed by HOL confirms that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) received formal complaints about unpaid salaries and travel reimbursements covering as early as last August. The FAO advised affected workers to report the matter to the Office of the Auditor General under the Puntland Presidency, which is investigating similar issues. The FAO also stated it had already conveyed the complaint to the Auditor General “to ensure a comprehensive review and resolution.”
Sources say the fallout has led to the freezing of incoming project funds. The Director General of the Agriculture Ministry has since been suspended pending an internal probe.
The issue drew parliamentary attention last week during a session of the Puntland regional assembly, where one lawmaker questioned whether the government was aware that project staff had not been paid for eight months. Legislators urged the Minister of Agriculture to respond to the mounting concerns and clarify the status of the program’s finances.
The locust program, one of the few federally-backed development initiatives operating in Puntland, is funded annually by the World Bank and is part of international efforts to combat the impact of desert locust swarms across East Africa and the Horn of Africa. The project is central to protecting crops and livestock in a region heavily reliant on agriculture and pastoralism.
In 2020, the World Bank launched the $500 million Emergency Locust Response Program (ELRP), which includes a $40 million allocation for Somalia. These funds support emergency cash transfers, agricultural rehabilitation, and locust surveillance activities through projects like the Shock-Responsive Safety Net for Locust Response Project—commonly known as Baxnaano.
In Puntland, FAO and regional officials launched the National Desert Locust Monitoring and Control Centre in Qardho in 2021 with support from the UK and USAID. The center was designed to serve as a permanent hub for locust surveillance and rapid response, helping safeguard pastoralist and farming communities from recurring infestations.
As of publication, the Puntland government has not issued a public response to the allegations.