Somalia faces extreme famine risk as drought devastates livelihoods

Somalia stands on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has raised urgent alarms about the rapid deterioration of food insecurity across the country. With 6.5 million people already grappling with severe hunger, prolonged drought conditions continue to wipe out livelihoods and deepen vulnerability.

Collapse of pastoralism fuels the crisis

Following two consecutive seasons of failed rains, experts warn of a potential return to the catastrophic hunger levels last seen in 2022. Pastoralism, the backbone of Somalia’s economy and a primary income source for over 60% of the population, is collapsing under the pressure. Mass livestock losses have stripped families of both food and critical income streams. Thousands are now fleeing toward displacement camps in search of survival.

Personal stories of loss and displacement

In Dhusamareb, a 61-year-old herder has lost 90% of his goats and two-thirds of his camels within a single year. « I fear my people will share the fate of my animals, » he shares. Meanwhile, in the Nugal region, a 19-year-old mother fled after losing her entire herd, desperate to protect her children from starvation.

Mass displacement strains humanitarian aid

Over 500,000 people were displaced in 2025 due to conflict and drought, particularly in the Al-Miskat hills of the Bari region in Puntland. As humanitarian funding dwindles, aid organizations are forced to scale back food distributions, water access programs, and healthcare services—just as demand skyrockets.

Since November 2025, the ICRC has extended support to over 5,000 displaced families. Efforts include rehabilitating boreholes in Bari and Sanaag, providing equipment to restore water wells, and treating severely malnourished children at the stabilization center in Kismayo. The organization also supports 11 clinics operated by the Somali Red Crescent Society.

Red alert: millions at risk of famine

« Without immediate rainfall and a significant surge in humanitarian aid, millions of Somalis could face irreversible food emergencies, » warns the ICRC. Somalia is at a critical juncture—every day without action amplifies the threat of a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.