Somalia is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis driven by a combination of prolonged drought, armed conflict, widespread displacement, and recurring disease outbreaks. These challenges are being intensified by a sharp decline in international humanitarian funding, which has significantly reduced the capacity to respond at a time when needs are rapidly increasing.
The country’s worsening drought conditions have destroyed livelihoods across regions such as Puntland and Southwest State. Consecutive failed rainy seasons and rising temperatures have dried up water sources, forcing families to rely on expensive trucked water. The loss of livestock and agricultural production has further undermined incomes, pushing thousands of people to leave their homes and move toward overcrowded displacement camps in search of basic necessities like food, water, and healthcare.
Food insecurity has reached critical levels, with millions of Somalis affected by hunger and malnutrition. In 2024 alone, medical teams treated over 18,000 children for severe acute malnutrition, reflecting a sharp rise compared to previous years. Millions more remain at risk, including a large number of children under five, while widespread displacement has placed additional pressure on already strained host communities and services.
A major driver of the worsening crisis is the collapse in humanitarian funding. The UN response plan has received only a fraction of the required financial support, forcing significant cuts in aid coverage. As a result, millions of vulnerable people have been excluded from assistance, not because needs have decreased, but because available resources are insufficient to meet them.
Health and nutrition systems are also nearing collapse as funding shortages force the closure of hundreds of clinics and treatment centres. This has left millions of people without access to essential services, while shortages of critical supplies such as therapeutic food have disrupted treatment for severely malnourished children. At the same time, preventable diseases like measles and acute watery diarrhea are spreading due to weakened immunization systems.
Humanitarian organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières continue to provide lifesaving care, including emergency treatment, nutrition support, and mobile clinics in hard-to-reach areas. However, the scale of needs far exceeds current response capacity. Medical teams report rising malnutrition cases and increasing child mortality, with many patients arriving in critical condition after long and difficult journeys in search of care. Despite ongoing efforts, the humanitarian gap continues to widen, leaving millions at risk from preventable and treatable conditions.
