Somalia Faces Escalating Crisis Amid Drought, Conflict, and Price Hikes

Somalia Faces Escalating Crisis Amid Drought, Conflict, and Price Hikes

The humanitarian crisis in Somalia has reached alarming levels as drought, conflict, and soaring food prices push millions toward extreme hunger, UN agencies warned this week. New assessments indicate that an additional 4.4 million people in Somalia—nearly a quarter of the population—will face "crisis" levels of food insecurity between April and June 2025. This marks a sharp increase from 3.4 million people currently experiencing acute hunger.

Multiple Drivers of Crisis

Etienne Peterschmitt, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Somalia, highlighted that worsening drought conditions, erratic rainfall, and ongoing conflict are devastating the livelihoods of many families. This is particularly felt by the internally displaced persons (IDPs), pastoralists with limited livestock, and farming households that have exhausted their food supplies.

Somalia has been enduring consecutive climate shocks, including below-average rainfall in late 2024, which severely impacted crop yields, depleted water sources, and led to significant livestock losses. Further compounding the crisis, erratic rainfall and flooding in critical agricultural regions such as Hiraan, Middle Shabelle, and Middle Juba decimated crops, worsening food insecurity.

Impact on Children

The situation is most dire for children, with the latest global food security report forecasting that 1.7 million children under five will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025, including 466,000 with severe acute malnutrition. This is a 9% increase compared to the previous year. Nearly two-thirds of these cases are expected to occur in southern Somalia, where food insecurity is at its most extreme.

Nisar Syed, Officer-in-Charge for UNICEF Somalia, underscored the vulnerability of children, who are facing severe malnourishment, diseases, and increased risks of death and long-term developmental issues. He emphasized the need for immediate humanitarian response combined with long-term investments in resilience and health systems.

Ongoing Conflict and Insecurity

The situation is further exacerbated by ongoing conflict and insecurity in Somalia, particularly in the central and southern regions, where fighting has displaced families and disrupted access to markets and essential services. This has made it even more challenging for affected communities to access food and humanitarian aid.

Crispen Rukasha, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia, noted that the combined effects of recurrent climate shocks, conflict, disease outbreaks, and widespread poverty are intensifying the humanitarian crisis. Despite the efforts of aid agencies to provide life-saving support, funding shortages are limiting their capacity to scale up assistance.

Critical Need for Funding

The UN's 2025 Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which requires $1.42 billion, is currently only 12.4% funded. As aid agencies continue to scale up their efforts to provide food assistance, nutrition, and livelihood support, they face the harsh reality of having to prioritize and reduce assistance due to "critically low" funding.

El-Khidir Daloum, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Somalia, stressed that famine was narrowly avoided in 2022 due to large-scale humanitarian support. However, funding shortfalls are forcing agencies to cut back on assistance at the worst possible time, threatening to escalate the crisis further.

Call for International Support

The UN and its partners are urgently calling for increased international support to address the immediate needs of millions of people in Somalia. Without swift intervention, experts warn that the situation could deteriorate into a catastrophic famine, with devastating consequences for the country’s most vulnerable populations.

This article underscores the need for continued and enhanced international humanitarian efforts to avert further suffering in Somalia.