A Crisis of Hunger in Somalia
Families in Somalia are pushed to the edge as severe famine grips the country. Urgent food aid is desperately needed to stop conditions from getting even worse.
Funding Cut Threatens Lifeline
The World Food Program (WFP) says its crucial food and nutrition support might stop until April because it’s running out of money. This lifeline helps millions survive Somalia’s hunger crisis.
Why Is This Happening?
Somalia faces one of its toughest hunger challenges in years. Back-to-back rainy seasons failed, causing crops to die and livestock to perish. Ongoing conflict makes getting help to people harder. Plus, donations from countries and organizations have dropped sharply.
Millions in Danger
Right now, 4.4 million Somalis – that’s about one in every four people – don’t have enough food. Nearly a million are experiencing severe hunger every day. Somalia is extremely vulnerable to climate shocks, suffering repeated droughts and floods.
Voices From the Frontlines
“Families have lost everything. Many are already at the breaking point,” said Ross Smith, a WFP emergency director. “Without immediate food aid, things will get much worse, very fast. We’re in a crucial moment. If we don’t act now, we won’t reach the most vulnerable people in time.”
Help Is Shrinking Fast
The WFP, Somalia’s biggest aid provider, has already slashed food assistance. At the start of 2025, they helped 2.2 million people. Now, only 600,000 get support. That means just one in seven hungry Somalis receives help.
Nutrition Programs Gutted
Support for mothers and young kids has plummeted. Programs assisting pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children under five dropped from nearly 400,000 people last October to just 90,000 by December.
A Warning Beyond Borders
“If our already reduced aid stops, the effects will be devastating,” Smith warned. “The humanitarian disaster, security risks, and economic damage won’t stay inside Somalia – they’ll spill across borders.”
Children Getting Sicker
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) recently warned its teams see Somalian children increasingly sick with preventable diseases. Severe malnutrition, measles, diphtheria, and dangerous diarrhea are spreading fast.
