Berbera, Somaliland – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) officially inaugurated a major new logistics hub in the port city of Berbera last week, marking a significant step towards enhancing humanitarian response and trade connectivity across the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Strategically positioned near the Berbera Port on the Gulf of Aden, the facility is designed to dramatically improve the efficiency and speed of delivering life-saving assistance to populations affected by conflict, climate shocks, and displacement in Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. It leverages Berbera’s growing prominence as a critical logistical gateway for Eastern Africa.
The Berbera Logistics Hub features warehouses, container yards, temperature-controlled units, and customs clearance, designed to improve the speed, accountability, and coordination of emergency logistics.
“This is a proud day for WFP as we open the Berbera Logistics Hub — a crucial and strategic point for our operations in Eastern Africa,” declared El-Khidir Daloum, WFP Somalia Country Director, during the opening ceremony.
“Honored to do this jointly with my brother and counterpart from WFP Ethiopia,” he added.
Daloum emphasized the tangible operational benefits, stating, “The Berbera Logistics Hub strengthens our ability to deliver faster operations, better oversight, and a more efficient, accountable supply chain. Thank you to our government partners for your invaluable support and to our WFP team, who give their all to ensure food reaches those who need it most.”
WFP Ethiopia Country Director Zlatan Milišić, also present, hailed the hub as transformative for the region.
“Delighted to be here in Berbera for the launch of WFP’s new logistics hub!” Milišić stated.
“This excellent new facility is set to be a game changer—creating an enabling environment for WFP to reach those most in need in Ethiopia and across the region,” he added.
His statement formally recognizes Berbera’s elevation to a key node in WFP’s logistics network, serving the wider Horn of Africa and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Somaliland’s Minister of Planning, Kaltun Sh Hassan, underscored the hub’s importance in a statement, saying, “I attended the opening ceremony of the new logistics hub launched by the World Food Programme (WFP) in the city of Berbera on 05/08/2025. This facility will play an important role in facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, especially food assistance.”
The development was welcomed by the United Kingdom, a key international partner in Berbera’s infrastructure. “Congratulations to WFP and El-Khidir Daloum on opening the Berbera Logistics Hub, further boosting regional economic integration,” said Tatiana Fernandes, Development Counsellor at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Hargeisa, adding that “the UK is proud to have invested in Berbera—an important, strategic corridor to eastern Africa.”
The establishment of the Berbera Logistics Hub forms a core part of WFP’s broader strategy to bolster regional emergency preparedness and response capabilities. It also signals a growing international recognition of Berbera’s dual potential to serve critical humanitarian needs and commercial trade flows, particularly as instability and port congestion elsewhere in the region drive the search for reliable alternative logistics corridors.
