Somalia’s Disaster Agency Distributes Food Aid to Families in Baidoa

By Shire Abdi - Reporter

Somalia, 7 April, 2026 Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) on Tuesday distributed food aid to 500 vulnerable households in Baidoa, warning that rising food prices driven by the Middle East conflict are compounding the country’s drought crisis.

The assistance, which included essential items such as flour, rice and cooking oil, forms part of a two-day operation targeting 1,000 families in the southwestern city. Authorities said the remaining 500 households are expected to receive aid on Wednesday.

““While the drought persists, food prices have continued to rise, driven in part by the situation in the Middle East,” SoDMA Commissioner Mahamud Moallim Abdulle said during the distribution.

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The distribution was attended by South West State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Abdinasir Arush and other local officials.

Baidoa, a key town hosting majority of internally displaced people in South West State, remains central to humanitarian operations. SoDMA has previously carried out water trucking and emergency relief programmes in the area to ease the impact of the ongoing crisis.