Mogadishu: Parts of Somalia are once again facing the threat of famine as worsening drought, severe food shortages and a major decline in international aid push millions of people into deeper hardship. Humanitarian agencies and global food security experts have warned that some regions in southern Somalia could slip into famine conditions for the first time since 2022 if urgent support does not arrive soon.
The latest warnings have focused on Burhakaba district in Somalia’s Bay region, where child malnutrition has reached alarming levels. According to international food security assessments, more than one third of children in the area are suffering from acute malnutrition. Aid workers say many families are struggling to find enough food, clean water and medical care for their children.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, commonly known as IPC, said famine could become a reality in the district if the coming rainy season fails and humanitarian assistance continues to decline. The assessment described the situation as extremely serious and warned that immediate action is needed to prevent a disaster similar to the deadly famine Somalia experienced in 2011.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies say one of the biggest concerns this year is the sharp reduction in international aid funding. Somalia has received far less financial support in 2026 compared with previous emergency periods. Aid agencies say they are unable to continue many lifesaving programmes because of the shortage of funds.
The World Food Programme recently warned that food assistance operations in Somalia may stop completely unless new funding is secured quickly. The agency has already reduced the number of people receiving food aid from around two million to only half a million in recent months because of financial difficulties.
Experts estimate that nearly six million people across Somalia are currently facing severe hunger or crisis level food insecurity. At the same time, almost 1.9 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year. Humanitarian groups say many families are abandoning their villages and moving to overcrowded camps in search of food, water and safety.
Somalia has faced repeated climate related disasters over the past several years, including failed rainy seasons, extreme drought and floods. These conditions have destroyed crops, killed livestock and damaged the livelihoods of farming and pastoral communities. Food prices have also remained high, making it even more difficult for poor families to survive.
Aid workers say the current crisis is especially dangerous because humanitarian resources are much lower than before. During the severe drought emergency in 2022, international donors provided large scale assistance that helped prevent a full famine. This year, however, funding levels have dropped sharply.
The ongoing instability in global markets and conflicts in different parts of the world have also affected humanitarian operations. Rising fuel and transport costs have made it more expensive to deliver food and emergency supplies to remote communities in Somalia.
Somalia’s previous famine in 2011 killed an estimated quarter of a million people, many of them children. Humanitarian agencies fear history could repeat itself if the international community fails to respond quickly.
The United Nations and aid organisations are now calling on donor countries to increase emergency support immediately. They say timely food assistance, nutrition programmes and access to clean water can still prevent a larger tragedy and save thousands of lives across Somalia.