The World Food Programme (WFP) has cautioned that its critical food and nutrition operations in Somalia are at risk of a total shutdown by April unless urgent funding is secured.
In a report released on Friday, the United Nations body described the current situation as one of the most intricate hunger crises in recent memory, exacerbated by consecutive failed rains, ongoing conflict, and a significant decline in international donor support.
Approximately 4.4 million people – nearly 25 per cent of the country’s population – are currently grappling with crisis-level food shortages. Among those, about one million individuals are suffering from extreme hunger.
As one of the world’s most climate-sensitive nations, Somalia remains trapped in a cycle of devastating droughts and floods. Ross Smith, the WFP’s director of emergency preparedness and response, noted that the situation is “deteriorating at an alarming rate,” leaving many families on the brink of catastrophe.
“Without immediate emergency food support, conditions will worsen quickly,” Smith said, adding that the agency is at a “decisive moment” regarding its ability to assist the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.
Funding shortfalls have already forced the WFP – the primary aid provider in Somalia – to scale back its emergency food reach from 2.2 million people in early 2025 to just 600,000. This leaves the agency capable of supporting only one in seven individuals in need.
Support for pregnant and breastfeeding women, along with young children, has also seen drastic cuts, plummeting from 400,000 beneficiaries in October last year to 90,000 by December.
Smith warned that a total cessation of aid would trigger “devastating” humanitarian, security, and economic repercussions that could extend beyond Somali borders.
The alarm follows a similar warning issued last month by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The medical charity reported an uptick in preventable illnesses among children, including measles, diphtheria, and acute watery diarrhoea, alongside severe acute malnutrition.
