The number of people in Somalia experiencing crisis-level food insecurity has nearly doubled in the past year, reaching 6.5 million, according to UN-backed experts. The warning comes amid worsening drought, rising food prices, insecurity, and declining humanitarian assistance.
IPC Report Findings
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) reported Tuesday that the population classified as being in “crisis or worse” has surged since early 2025. Key findings include:
- 6.5 million people now face crisis-level food insecurity.
- Over two million people are in Phase 4 (“emergency”), one step away from famine.
- 1.84 million children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition in 2026, including 483,000 severe cases requiring urgent treatment.
Drivers of the Crisis
The IPC report highlighted several contributing factors:
- Two consecutive failed rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa.
- Rising food prices across central, southern, and northern Somalia.
- Conflict and insecurity disrupting livelihoods and aid delivery.
- Declining humanitarian assistance, worsened by international funding cuts.
Aid Shortfalls
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned it may halt humanitarian assistance in Somalia by April if new funding is not secured. Already, WFP has reduced emergency food aid recipients from 2.2 million in early 2025 to just 600,000 today.
In January, the United States suspended aid after a US-funded WFP warehouse was destroyed in Mogadishu, though food distribution resumed later that month. Still, UN agencies caution that funding shortfalls remain severe, particularly following aid cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Outlook
While rainfall from April to June is expected to be near normal or above normal in some areas, experts say this will only bring modest improvements to food security. Levels of acute malnutrition have already risen for two consecutive years, underscoring the urgency of sustained humanitarian support.
