The World Food Programme warned on Friday that life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Somalia could grind to a halt by April without urgent new funding, putting millions at risk of worsening hunger.
An estimated 4.4 million people in Somalia are facing crisis-level food insecurity, including nearly one million experiencing severe hunger, the agency said, citing the impact of failed rainy seasons, conflict and declining humanitarian funding.
“The situation is deteriorating at an alarming rate,” Ross Smith, the WFP’s director of emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement.
“Families have lost everything, and many are already being pushed to the brink. Without immediate emergency food support, conditions will worsen quickly,” he added.
Somalia declared a national drought emergency in November after recurrent poor rainy seasons devastated crops and livestock, displacing communities and eroding livelihoods. Other countries across the Horn of Africa have also been affected by below-average rainfall.
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The WFP, the largest humanitarian agency operating in Somalia, said it has already been forced to scale back assistance sharply due to funding shortages. Support has been reduced from 2.2 million people earlier this year to just over 600,000 currently receiving aid.
Nutrition programmes targeting pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as young children — among the most vulnerable to malnutrition have also been significantly curtailed, the agency said.
The WFP said it faces a critical juncture similar to 2022, when Somalia was on the brink of famine before a surge in international assistance helped avert catastrophe.
To maintain operations between March and August, the agency is seeking $95 million in emergency funding. Without it, officials warned, the humanitarian response could collapse within weeks.
“If our already reduced assistance ends, the humanitarian, security, and economic consequences will be devastating, with the effects felt far beyond Somalia’s borders,” Smith said.
Aid groups have repeatedly cautioned that funding for humanitarian operations globally has declined amid competing crises and donor fatigue, leaving vulnerable populations increasingly exposed to food insecurity and displacement.
Somalia has faced recurring humanitarian crises over the past decade, driven by a combination of climate shocks, armed conflict, and chronic poverty. Prolonged droughts, particularly in 2010–2012 and 2022, have repeatedly pushed millions of people into extreme food insecurity, forcing mass displacement and heightening the risk of famine.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian actor in Somalia, providing food assistance, nutrition support and emergency relief to vulnerable populations, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), rural farmers, and pastoralist communities. Its programmes are essential for sustaining life in areas where local production has been disrupted by drought, flooding, or conflict.
In November 2025, the Somali government declared a national drought emergency after consecutive seasons of poor rainfall devastated crop yields and pastureland, compounding the effects of ongoing insecurity in southern and central regions. The crisis has coincided with funding shortfalls for humanitarian agencies, forcing the WFP and its partners to ration assistance.
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Historically, international support has been critical in preventing famine in Somalia. In 2022, large-scale donor contributions helped avert a nationwide food crisis, despite widespread malnutrition and displacement. However, funding gaps remain a persistent challenge, leaving millions vulnerable when aid is insufficient.
The humanitarian situation is further complicated by regional dynamics: neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa have also suffered from drought and rising food prices, straining cross-border relief efforts and trade. Without sustained funding and coordinated international support, the WFP warns that Somalia could face severe humanitarian, security, and economic consequences in the coming months.
