Hunger threatens 4.4 million people in Somalia due to drought, conflict and high food prices

In a statement issued by Al -Faw today, Wednesday, it was reported that the Disaster Management Agency of the Somali government and international agencies*warned that without financing humanitarian work, millions in Somalia may again face increasing starvation.

In 2022, Somalia was driven to the brink of famine due to severe drought, which resulted in the death of almost half of them children.

Today’s warning comes at a time when the latest analysis appears For the integrated classification of food security stages That 3.4 million people are already suffering from the levels of crisis or acute food insecurity in Somalia, and this number is expected to rise to 4.4 million – or 23 percent of the population – between April and June 2025, when rain is expected less than the average .

The most affected families include those that suffer from low agricultural yields that have exhausted their nutritional stocks, internally displaced people, sponsors who have limited cattle and lower profits than average of livestock sales.

Lack of severe financing

The representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization in Somalia, Etienne Petersshtit, said that the exacerbation of drought, irregular rain, and the ongoing conflict leads to the erosion of livelihoods and pushing families to the depth of the crisis.

He added that “FAO responds, by increasing its support for increasing agricultural production, enhancing smart climate solutions, enhancing flexible agricultural food systems. Through early warning and proactive work systems, we help societies prepare for shocks before their aggravation, and reduce the worst traces of food crises.”.

In turn, Crespon Rokasha, Director of the Office of Humanitarian Coordination in Somalia, said that repeated climatic shocks, prolonged conflict, widespread diseases and poverty, among other factors, have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Somalia.

The UN organization warned that estimates also indicate that 1.7 million children under the age of five face acute malnutrition until December 2025. Among them, 466,000 children face severe malnutrition, an increase of nine percent compared to the same period of the year. the past.

Al -Faw explained that the lack of acute financing led to the reduction or cutting of the entire rescue programs, adding that the United Nations calls for more urgent financing to expand the scope of food aid and support nutrition, water and sanitation services, as well as ways to live to alleviate the effects of drought expected in Somalia.

She noted that the response plan for humanitarian needs in Somalia was not funded for 2025, which calls for $ 1.42 billion, except by only 12.4 percent.

*These include international agencies: FAO, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program.