Politics Food crisis in Somalia worsens
In Somalia, the number of people suffering from acute food shortages has doubled within a year to 6.5 million.
25.02.2026, 10:34
SDA
This is according to new figures from the IPC (Integrated Food Security Classification). The initiative monitors food crises worldwide. According to the report, around 1.8 million Somali children are at risk of acute malnutrition. Somalia has a population of around 19 million.
In the IPC's five-level alert system, levels three to four apply to Somalia, meaning crisis or emergency. Around two million Somalis are affected by level four. The fifth and highest level represents a famine disaster. Persistent drought and rising food prices have contributed to the deterioration in the food situation. Added to this is the insecurity in large parts of the country where the Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabaab is active.
At the same time, there are enormous funding gaps for emergency aid measures, warned Alexander Fenwick, Country Director of Welthungerhilfe for Somalia. Somalia is facing a worsening hunger crisis. "Families are faced with impossible decisions: Which child gets to eat? How far do they have to walk to find water? And will they even survive the next day?"
The country in the Horn of Africa is severely affected by the consequences of climate change and experienced a severe drought as recently as 2022. According to UN reports, more than three million people have already left their villages and are internally displaced within the country. The Somali government had already declared a drought emergency at the end of 2025.
