UNITED NATIONS — About 6.5 million people in Somalia, nearly one third of the population, are expected to face crisis levels of hunger through March, an increase of 1.7 million since January, according to United Nations officials.
Briefing reporters on Wednesday via video link from Somalia, World Food Programme Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response Ross Smith said the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, released Tuesday, confirms that the humanitarian situation has significantly worsened.
Of those affected, around two million of the most vulnerable women and children are projected to face severe hunger. More than 1.8 million children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2026, including hundreds of thousands requiring urgent treatment.
Smith said Somalia is experiencing a complex hunger crisis driven by consecutive failed rainy seasons, ongoing conflict and insecurity, and large scale displacement as families flee in search of food, shelter, and basic services. He warned that humanitarian agencies, including WFP, are facing critical funding shortfalls. Without urgent financial support, life saving food and nutrition assistance may be reduced or halted.
Rein Paulsen, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience at the Food and Agriculture Organization, said drought has had a devastating impact on agriculture. The country’s most recent main cereal harvest was 83 percent below the long term average recorded between 1995 and 2025. Livestock births have also declined sharply, contributing to widespread crop and animal losses and increased displacement.
Paulsen said FAO requires 85 million US dollars to assist one million of the most vulnerable rural people but has so far secured only 6 million dollars.
Aid agencies warned that the current crisis is approaching levels seen in 2022, when Somalia was on the brink of famine. Humanitarian organizations are calling for increased international funding to scale up food, health, and nutrition support and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
