Somalia is facing a renewed hunger crisis, with around six million people experiencing acute food insecurity at a time when international humanitarian funding has fallen dramatically, leaving the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) with only a fraction of the resources it had during the country’s previous major food emergency.
WFP Executive Director Carl Skau, during a visit to a nutrition centre on the outskirts of Mogadishu, said the agency was currently able to provide only the most basic assistance because of severe funding constraints. The situation has been worsened by cuts in international aid and the diversion of donor resources towards other humanitarian emergencies around the world.
The WFP estimates that about 1.9 million children under the age of five in Somalia could suffer from acute malnutrition this year. Nearly 500,000 of them are expected to require urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition, a potentially life-threatening condition. The United Nations estimates that roughly 30% of Somalia’s population is currently facing critical levels of food insecurity.
The scale of the funding shortfall has raised concerns about whether humanitarian agencies will be able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. Skau said the WFP had possessed roughly ten times more resources during the 2022 hunger emergency, when prolonged drought pushed Somalia towards famine. The larger funding base at that time enabled humanitarian agencies to rapidly expand their operations and help prevent a famine.
The current crisis is being driven by a combination of drought, conflict, displacement and rising food prices. Somalia has struggled with repeated climate shocks, while prolonged insecurity has made it difficult for aid agencies to reach vulnerable communities. The country is also dealing with a long-running insurgency by the al-Shabab militant group, forcing humanitarian organisations to use costly alternatives such as aircraft to transport personnel and supplies to areas that are unsafe or inaccessible by road.
The situation is particularly severe for children and displaced families. At the Feynuus Health Center in Mogadishu’s Kahda district, health workers are screening children for malnutrition and providing therapeutic food to those in need. The centre receives between 250 and 350 patients every day, most of them women and children displaced from other parts of the country. Around 10 nearby health and nutrition centres have reportedly closed because of reductions in humanitarian funding, placing additional pressure on facilities that remain operational.
Somali officials have described the food situation as extremely alarming. The country’s disaster management authorities estimate that about 1.85 million children are malnourished, while around six million people are being affected by drought and nearly two million urgently require assistance. Aid agencies have also warned that shrinking humanitarian operations could make it harder for vulnerable families to access treatment before malnutrition becomes life-threatening.
The crisis is also forcing families to travel long distances in search of food, water and medical assistance. Many have lost crops and livestock because of drought and have been displaced by insecurity. Rising food and fuel prices are adding another burden to households that already have little income. In some areas, mothers are walking several hours to reach health facilities because humanitarian workers cannot safely reach their communities.
The effects of the crisis were evident in the experience of families arriving at nutrition centres around Mogadishu. Displaced households are struggling to provide enough food for their children, while some families have been forced to leave their homes after losing access to water, crops and livelihoods. Humanitarian workers say the combination of displacement and reduced aid is increasing the pressure on already overstretched health and nutrition services.
Skau warned that the international community’s reduced financial commitment could have serious consequences if the situation continues to deteriorate. According to the WFP, humanitarian agencies have the experience and operational capacity to respond to Somalia’s crisis, but they require sufficient funding to scale up their efforts.
The pressure on Somalia is also being compounded by developments beyond its borders. Conflict in the Middle East has contributed to higher fuel and food costs, affected agricultural supplies and diverted international funding towards other emergencies. As competing humanitarian crises continue to demand resources, Somalia risks receiving less assistance precisely when the number of people in need is increasing.
Aid agencies and Somali authorities are therefore facing a race against time to prevent the current food shortages from developing into an even more severe humanitarian disaster. With millions already struggling to secure adequate food and hundreds of thousands of children expected to need urgent treatment, humanitarian organisations say additional resources are essential to maintain nutrition services and reach communities affected by drought, conflict and displacement.
