Somalia – The hunger and malnutrition crisis worsens with the threat of famine emerging

The UN agencies said – in a joint statement today, Friday – that Somalia is currently witnessing one of the worst malnutrition crises in the world, affecting about 1.9 million children, including 493,000 children who face severe acute malnutrition, making them at risk of death at a rate 12 times higher than their well-nourished peers.

Of the groups expected to experience severe food insecurity, nearly 1.9 million people are facing “emergency” (IPC Phase 4) – a number that has tripled in less than one year, according to the latest analysis by Integrated classification of food security stages.

Threat of famine in the southwest of the country

Meanwhile, UN agencies have warned of the threat of famine facing population groups that depend on agricultural and pastoral livelihoods in Bur Haqba District, southwestern Somalia. This is in the event that the “worst-case scenario” is achieved, which is represented by the failure of rains during the current season (extending from April to June), the continued sharp rise in food prices, and the scope of humanitarian aid does not expand to include the most vulnerable population groups until June 2026.

Nearly 40 percent of children under the age of five in this region already suffer from acute malnutrition.

The UN agencies stated that this warning represents the first analysis of the risk of famine since the crisis that occurred in 2022, when famine was averted thanks to large-scale and continuous humanitarian interventions implemented in the wake of the longest drought recorded in history.

Multifaceted crises

The UN agencies explained that the current worsening crisis is due to a combination of multiple shocks, which include severe drought, insecurity, severely limited humanitarian aid, and the effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region, as well as increasing flood risks in riverine and low-lying areas.

🔹Food prices – linked to rising fuel prices and disruptions to maritime supply chains – have risen by up to 20 percent, weakening household purchasing power and pushing families towards the brink of the abyss.

🔹The severity of these accumulated shocks was exacerbated by the significant decline in the level of humanitarian services and aid, due to severe funding restrictions.

🔹More than 500 health and nutrition facilities have closed across the country due to lack of funding, leading to an outbreak of disease and a high risk of mortality.

🔹The total number of measles cases across Somalia doubled during the period from January to March 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2025, which particularly affected the most vulnerable children and those who already suffer from acute malnutrition.

Humanitarian aid is currently being expanded in the most vulnerable areas, including the Bourhaqba region, with very limited resources. However, coverage remains limited nationally, with approximately 90 percent of the population receiving little or no support. The funding rate for the Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2026 is currently only 15.2 percent.

An urgent call to intensify aid

The four UN organizations – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme – called for an urgent intensification of life-saving multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance (food security, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene) to populations at crisis level (IPC Phase 3) and above, including those facing the risk of famine. Sustainable and predictable financing is crucial to preventing a humanitarian catastrophe.

George Conway, Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said the IPC analysis of food security presents a bleak and urgent picture, with increasing numbers of malnourished children and the risk of famine confirmed in Bur Haqba district.

He warned that “Without immediate and sustained support from donors, diaspora and the private sector, we risk an avoidable disaster unfolding before our eyes. We must act now, at scale and without delay, to save lives and prevent the worst.”