Key facts
- Six million people in Somalia are facing acute food insecurity.
- The World Food Program (WFP) has only 10% of the funds it had in 2022.
- WFP projects 1.9 million children under 5 will suffer acute malnutrition this year.
- Around 30% of Somalia's population faces critical levels of food insecurity.
- Reduced international aid and funding redirection to other crises are impacting WFP's capacity.
- Drought, conflict, rising food prices, and displacement are key drivers of the crisis.
Somalia is facing a dire hunger crisis, with six million people experiencing acute food insecurity, according to the World Food Program (WFP). The agency's executive director, Carl Skau, stated during a visit to Mogadishu that WFP has only a tenth of the resources it possessed in 2022, when it helped avert a famine. This drastic reduction in funding, attributed to cuts in international aid and redirection to other global crises, severely limits WFP's ability to provide assistance.
Skau warned that the agency can only offer the "bare minimum," focusing nutrition supplies on the most critically affected children. WFP projects that 1.9 million children under five will suffer acute malnutrition this year, with nearly 500,000 requiring treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Overall, approximately 30% of Somalia's population faces critical levels of food insecurity.
The consequences of the current food shortage, exacerbated by drought, conflict, and displacement, are evident at facilities like the Feynuus Health Center in Mogadishu. Health workers are screening and distributing therapeutic food to dozens of malnourished children daily. The center's program director noted that about ten nearby health facilities have closed due to funding reductions, increasing the strain on remaining centers.
One mother, Halima Mohamed Hassan, shared her harrowing experience, having walked for days with her malnourished child after fleeing her region following her husband's death from malnutrition. She described the scarcity of food and water and the dangers posed by ongoing conflict. Hassan now struggles to feed her household of 12 with her mother, relying on occasional work.
Officials describe the situation as "extremely alarming," with estimates of 1.85 million malnourished children and 6 million people affected by drought. Skau highlighted that drought, insecurity, and rising food prices are the primary drivers, forcing families to abandon their homes and travel long distances for aid. The ongoing insurgency by the al-Shabab militant group further complicates humanitarian operations, necessitating costly air transport in some areas and rendering other communities inaccessible. Additionally, conflict in the Middle East is contributing to increased fuel and food prices and diverting donor attention and funds.