By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Somalia, July 15 2026 – Somalia's Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) on Tuesday expanded emergency food assistance for drought-affected families in southern regions, launching distribution in Afmadow while continuing operations in Kismayo and concluding deliveries in Baidoa.
The first phase of the food aid programme was launched in Afmadow district in the Lower Juba region, where officials said the assistance was intended to ease the impact of drought on vulnerable households that have lost livestock and crops.
Mohamed Halane, secretary of the Afmadow local government, said the food packages included rice, flour, pasta, sugar and beans, adding that the assistance had arrived at a time when many families were facing acute need.
In Baidoa, SoDMA and local authorities completed a two-day food distribution programme that reached 2,500 households, including 1,500 families on the first day and 1,000 on the second, according to officials overseeing the operation.
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Relief distributions also continued for a second day in Kismayo, where SoDMA and local authorities said food assistance was being delivered to households affected by the recent drought.
Beneficiaries in all three locations welcomed the assistance, saying it would help families struggling with food shortages caused by prolonged dry conditions.
Senior SoDMA officials said the agency would continue expanding humanitarian assistance to communities affected by drought across Somalia, where recurring climate shocks have displaced families and increased food insecurity. Aid agencies estimate that millions of people across the country continue to require humanitarian assistance because of drought and other climate-related crises.