The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) delivers essential food supplies to sustain the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and the Somali Security Forces (SSF) across Somalia. Each month, approximately 240 tonnes of food rations reach the sectors and Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) as part of UNSOS’ mandate to provide non-lethal logistical support. Behind every delivery is a complex supply chain ensuring essential supplies reach those deployed in the field, enabling them to continue their missions in support of Somalia’s peace, stabilisation and security efforts.
This coordinated logistical effort supports AUSSOM’s Troop Contributing Countries and Police Contributing Countries, the Somali Security Forces and the UN Country Team by ensuring efficient and accountable delivery of essential supplies. The Movement Control (MovCon) Section plays a central role in coordinating this end-to-end movement of supplies, working closely with AUSSOM and other partners to maintain a reliable flow of food rations across Somalia.
“The movement of life support items follows a structured end-to-end logistics chain. Once these items are received, we then make a plan to distribute them further to the sectors. This means we would like our clients, mainly AUSSOM and SSF, and UN partners that we support, to receive their items in a timely manner. So, this is now where MovCon comes in and plays a critical role,” explains Rosaline Acheng Wacha, Chief of MovCon.
Ensuring Continuous Food Supply
At the MovCon facility, UNSOS and AUSSOM personnel work together to prepare essential food supplies for delivery, reflecting the close partnership between both entities. Through hands-on cooperation, AUSSOM teams from Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) are integrated into cargo operations, supporting the coordinated movement of supplies that sustain personnel deployed across Somalia.
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The operation involves the management of four categories of food rations: dry, chilled, frozen and combat ration packs. From fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs to frozen meat and fish, alongside dry goods such as pasta, sugar, coffee and canned foods, each item is stored, handled and prepared in dedicated containers designed to maintain the required temperature and safety conditions before being transported by air or road to sector headquarters and frontline locations.
The process requires precision and teamwork at every stage, from preparation and handling to verification and distribution. For Bepeh Anthony, an inspector serving with the Nigeria Formed Police Unit Contingent 13 under AUSSOM, effective cargo management is essential to maintaining reliable logistical support:
"This is an operational environment. These essential supplies have to be in place and be given to the various FOBs at the right time to maintain the status quo of the operation. Cargo handling is a little bit of tedious work, but it has to be done with a lot of calculations and you have to give much of your time and keep your head up, make sure you do the right thing at the right time, because it has to do with a lot of security and safety. Safety is the watchword as far as the activity is concerned".
The delivery of food support is part of a wider UNSOS logistics network. In 2025, UNSOS moved more than 21,000 metric tonnes of cargo, by air, road and sea depending on operational requirements and conditions on the ground.
Maintaining a reliable supply chain in Somalia requires continuous coordination and adaptability. Despite logistical challenges, UNSOS teams continue to ensure the delivery of essential support to partners across the country.
"All these challenges that we face have not deterred us from doing our job. What we do is critical for our clients, and sometimes it is a matter of life and death. For our clients, SSF and AUSSOM, to be able to deliver on their mandate, MovCon operations ensure the steady and reliable delivery of logistical support to them in the various sectors and FOBs that they are located. The contribution we make is meaningful to the country", highlights Ms. Wacha.
A Supply Chain Built Months in Advance
Behind every food delivery is a logistics process that begins months before supplies reach personnel in the field. Approximately 120 days in advance, UNSOS issues food requirements to its logistics partner, which manages storage and preparation under strict United Nations standards.
At the warehouse, food is stored according to its specific requirements. Frozen items such as meat and fish, chilled goods including vegetables, fruit and eggs, and dry food including pasta, canned goods and combat ration packs are handled to preserve their quality. Every item is coded, stamped with UN markings, tracked and verified before being palletised and prepared for its designated destination and delivery schedule.
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Throughout the process, AUSSOM personnel inspect the cargo, verify manifests and seal consignments, ensuring control and accountability across the logistics chain. They later oversee the unsealing and offloading of cargo at the MovCon facility, as well as the onward loading onto aircraft, closing the loop between warehouse and frontline delivery.
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A Continuous Supply Chain Supporting Operations
The food supply system operates through a continuous cycle involving UNSOS MovCon, Aviation, Rations Units, AUSSOM personnel and contracted partners. From planning and procurement to storage, transportation and delivery in the field, each stage contributes to maintaining a reliable flow of essential support across Somalia.
Through this end-to-end logistical network, UNSOS continues to provide critical support to AUSSOM and the Somali Security Forces, strengthening operational resilience and enabling personnel to remain mission-ready. Beyond a supply chain and service delivery function, this coordinated effort represents a critical enabler of peace operations, supporting Somalia’s security transition efforts.
