As Somalia grapples with one of its most challenging humanitarian crises in recent history, the need for urgent food aid has become increasingly critical. With nearly a quarter of the population facing severe food insecurity, the impending halt of lifesaving assistance due to funding shortages underscores a growing desperation. This situation highlights not only the immediate human cost but also the broader implications for regional stability and security.
Life-saving emergency food and nutrition assistance provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) in Somalia could be forced to a halt by April due to a lack of funding, the United Nations agency has announced. The WFP warned in a report that the country is facing one of the most complex hunger crises in recent years, driven by two consecutive failed rainy seasons, ongoing conflict, and a sharp decline in humanitarian funding.
Currently, at least 4.4 million Somalis—approximately a quarter of the population—are facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse. Among them are nearly one million women, men, and children experiencing severe hunger, according to WFP data. Somalia, ranked as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, has been subjected to recurring droughts and floods, exacerbating the humanitarian situation.
“The condition is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Families have lost everything, and many are already being pushed to the brink. Without immediate emergency food support, conditions will quickly worsen,” said Ross Smith, WFP director of emergency preparedness and response. He emphasized that the region stands at a crucial juncture; without urgent action, reaching the most vulnerable, mainly women and children, may become impossible.
The WFP, the largest humanitarian agency in Somalia, has already been compelled to reduce the number of individuals receiving emergency food assistance from 2.2 million in early 2025 to approximately 600,000. This equates to support for only one in every seven individuals needing food assistance. Additionally, nutrition programmes have drastically decreased from nearly 400,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children being assisted in October last year to just 90,000 by December.
“If our already reduced assistance ends, the humanitarian, security, and economic consequences will be devastating, impacting far beyond Somalia’s borders,” Smith warned. This cautionary note coincides with a similar alarm raised by Doctors Without Borders, which reported a worrying trend of increasing numbers of children suffering from preventable diseases such as severe acute malnutrition, measles, diphtheria, and acute watery diarrhoea.
The situation remains urgent and the need for international support is critical to avert a humanitarian disaster in Somalia.
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