By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) UN agencies warn six million people, 31 percent of the population, face severe food insecurity from April to June as hunger crisis worsens.
The warning was issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.
The agencies said the current situation has also become one of the world’s worst malnutrition crises, affecting nearly 1.9 million children. Among them are 493,000 children facing severe acute malnutrition, putting them at a higher risk of death compared with well-nourished children.
Burhakaba district in Bay region, South West Somalia, has been identified as one of the most vulnerable areas. Agropastoral communities there face the risk of famine if the Gu rains fail, food prices continue to rise, and humanitarian assistance is not scaled up.
UN agencies said nearly 40% of children under the age of five in the area are already suffering from acute malnutrition.
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The situation marks the first famine-risk analysis for Somalia since 2022, when famine was averted after humanitarian assistance was significantly scaled up, following the longest drought on record.
Food prices have increased by up to 20%, weakening household purchasing power and pushing many families into a difficult situation. The agencies said the increase is linked to rising fuel prices and disruptions to maritime supply chains.
Severe funding shortages have also forced the closure of more than 500 health and nutrition facilities across the country, increasing the risk of disease and death. Measles cases in Somalia doubled between January and March 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
Somalia’s 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently only 15.2% funded.
The agencies are calling for an urgent scale-up of lifesaving humanitarian assistance, particularly food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation support, to reach people facing severe food insecurity and those at risk of famine.