The number of people in Somalia facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled to 6.5 million since last year as hunger levels rise due to worsening drought, conflict and soaring food prices.
More than1.8 millionchildrenunder five are also at risk of acute malnutritionbetween now and June,according tolatest analysispublished on Tuesday by theIPCfood security monitoring platform(see ourexplaineron the platform here).
The worrying development comes aftertheOctober to Decemberseasonrainsfailedandcrop production fell. Those most impacted arepoor farmers,pastoralists, and internally displaced people.
Drought, displacement, aid shortfalls
In Somalia, drought,insecurityand conflict inthecentre, south and some parts ofthenorthdriven by insurgency, competition over resources and other factors havedisplacedpeople while also disrupting livelihoods and access to markets.
The situation was further compounded byhigh local and imported food prices, alongsidea reduction in humanitarianassistance.
The IPC aUN-backed initiative uses a scalefrom one to fivetomeasure the severity of food insecuritythat helpsgovernments and humanitarians to classify crises.
Millions going hungry
The experts estimated thata staggering 6.5 million Somalisare facing acute food insecurity, or IPCPhase 3 and above, compared to 3.4 million during the first quarter of 2025.
Over two million are at emergency level, orPhase 4.
Most of the pastoral and agropastoral people in northern, central, and southern regions are classified in Phase 3, they said.
These livelihoods face significant food consumption gaps, rising acute malnutrition, and arerelying on crisis or emergency coping strategies just to meet basic food needs.
The IPC analysis revealed thatthis year, 1.84 millionyoungchildren are suffering or will suffer from acute malnutrition, with 483,000 cases ofsevere acute malnutrition (SAM).
The condition also known as severe wasting is the deadliest form of malnutrition,according totheUNChildrens Fund (UNICEF).
Step up action
Acute food insecurity in Somalia is expected to worsenthrough March during thedryseason,the hottest period of the year.
Forecastsindicatethat therainy season from April to June is likely to be average in mostareas of the country which should lead to the gradual restoration of water and pasture resources.
As a result,thenumber of people at IPC Phase 3 or above is likely to drop to5.5 million, however,acute food insecurity will remain widespread, and the slight improvements will be unevenacross livelihood zones.
The IPC called for urgent scale-up of lifesaving humanitarianassistanceto hotspot areas wherehigh levelsof acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition intersect.
Other recommendations include ramping up aid in rural and underserved areas; strengthening coordinationtofacilitateintegrated response combiningfood security, nutrition, health,and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other sectoral interventions, and improving targeting of humanitarianassistanceto ensure it reaches those most in need.
