Drought crisis deepens in Somalia

Somalia is grappling with a deepening food crisis as persistent drought continues to grip the East African nation. The lives of more than six million Somalis are hanging in the balance as hunger intensifies across the country.

Reports indicate that on the outskirts of Somalia’s southern port city, vast stretches of land have turned into open graveyards for livestock. Dead cattle lie scattered where they collapsed, while others are buried in shallow graves following several consecutive failed rainy seasons.

The situation is particularly dire for communities living in remote areas who depend heavily on livestock for milk, meat and income. With many animals dead, countless families have lost their primary means of livelihood.

The drought has forced millions of people to skip meals and endure daily hunger. According to a report by Al Jazeera, a combination of prolonged drought and rising living costs is pushing the country deeper into crisis.

The humanitarian director at Save the Children, Francesca Sangiorgi, said the crisis is being driven by repeated climate shocks that have compounded over time.

“We’re seeing multiple rainy seasons that have failed across the country,” she told Al Jazeera, noting that even when rain falls, it is often uneven and arrives too late to restore livelihoods that have already collapsed.

The scale of Somalia’s hunger crisis is severe and worsening rapidly. Nearly a third of the population is facing severe food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 and above. Many households are struggling to obtain enough food to meet their basic daily needs, and in some cases are going without food altogether, leaving them vulnerable to malnutrition and diseases such as diarrhoea, measles and other infections.

Of those affected, more than two million people are already in the most critical conditions short of famine, known as IPC Phase 4 or emergency levels. Families in this category face extreme food shortages and are increasingly forced to flee their homes in search of assistance, often moving to overcrowded aid camps where resources are rapidly dwindling.

Children remain among the hardest hit. According to the United Nations, an estimated 1.8 million children under the age of five in Somalia are at risk of acute malnutrition, putting their survival in immediate danger.

Sangiorgi warned that the situation is deteriorating quickly and its effects are already widespread.

“The situation of children across the country is extremely concerning,” she said. “We’re seeing the spread of child illnesses across the country. Dropout rates are extremely high right now and continue to rise because of the drought. We want to make sure that children have a chance at life — access to the health and nutrition services they need, as well as education.”

Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reports that more than 3.3 million people have been displaced, placing immense pressure on already limited resources and basic services in affected communities.