By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU – The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning over worsening drought conditions in Somalia, cautioning that the country is at a critical juncture and urgently requires immediate international assistance to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
In a new assessment, the UN food agency said nearly 4.4 million people across Somalia are currently facing acute levels of hunger and require sustained food assistance to survive. The agency warned that without continued support, vulnerable communities could slip deeper into crisis in the coming months.
WFP further indicated that close to one million people are on the brink of severe hunger, a level that could tip into famine if urgent nutritional and food aid is not delivered. The warning underscores mounting concerns over deteriorating food security as drought conditions persist in several regions of the country.
The agency stressed that life-saving humanitarian operations are at risk of being scaled back or halted entirely due to critical funding shortfalls. Without immediate financial support, WFP said it may be unable to maintain essential food distributions and nutrition services for the most at-risk populations, including children, pregnant women and internally displaced families.
A suspension or reduction in aid would represent a devastating setback for millions of Somalis already grappling with the compounded effects of repeated droughts, climate shocks and rising global food prices. Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that Somalia remains highly vulnerable to food insecurity due to its heavy dependence on rain-fed agriculture and limited resilience to climate extremes.
WFP called on international donors to step up funding to prevent a repeat of past famine scenarios and to ensure that emergency food and nutrition programs continue uninterrupted.
