Millions of people across Somalia are facing a catastrophic hunger crisis, trapped between the relentless devastation of a multi-year climate disaster and a sharp decline in international humanitarian support.

The crisis, compounded by the failure of September’s Deyr rains, has displaced over 500,000 people so far this year. This latest wave of displacement adds to an existing population of 3.3 million Somalis who had already been forced from their homes. For families, the reality is increasingly dire: many are arriving at displacement camps in Baidoa and Dollow malnourished, exhausted, and having survived on wild plants during their journey.

According to the UN OCHA’s Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026, displaced families currently face the highest risk of starvation. Despite the scale of the emergency, humanitarian aid has largely stalled. Data from OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service indicates that only 14 percent of the funds requested for humanitarian response in Somalia have been received this year.

A significant geopolitical factor contributing to this shortfall is the exclusion of Somalia from a $2 billion global humanitarian aid pledge by the United States. Officials cite concerns over aid diversion, corruption, and the destruction of a U.S.-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in the country as reasons for the policy.

While the Gu rainy season (April–June) has begun, experts warn that it offers only limited relief. For pastoralist and farming families who have lost their entire livelihoods, rain alone cannot replace lost herds or restore failed farms. Without immediate, sustained humanitarian intervention, aid organizations warn that the survival of these communities remains critically at risk. (ILKHA)