Somalia has declared a national drought emergency, warning that more than two million people are now at risk of hunger, starvation, and displacement after another failed rainy season.
The announcement comes as dry conditions intensify across the country, hitting pastoralist communities, farmers, and children the hardest.
Aid agencies say the situation is “rapidly deteriorating,” with many families surviving on one meal a day — if any at all. The government’s declaration signals both the urgency of the crisis and the scale of the humanitarian response needed to prevent catastrophe.
Communities on the Edge of Survival
Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from makeshift settlements, spoke with families who have walked for days in search of food, water, and medical care. Many have already lost their livestock — their main source of income and survival.
For countless households, the drought has meant:
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livestock deaths
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failed crops
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empty water wells
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malnutrition among children
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increased displacement
Entire communities are now relying on emergency relief, but those resources are dwindling.
Aid Agencies Forced to Cut Support
Compounding the crisis, many aid organizations have been forced to reduce their budgets, scale back food rations, and limit operations due to global funding shortfalls.
This means that even as the number of people in need increases, fewer resources are available to help them.
Humanitarian groups warn that without immediate intervention, Somalia risks sliding into a famine-like situation — one that could mirror or surpass the deadly food crises of 2011 and 2017.
Climate Change at the Center of the Crisis
Somalia’s recurring droughts are part of a larger pattern driven by climate change.
The country has endured:
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five consecutive failed rainy seasons
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rising temperatures
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unpredictable weather cycles
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depleted grazing lands
Experts say that without long-term climate adaptation — including water management systems, drought-resistant agriculture, and stronger local institutions — the cycle of crisis will continue.
A Nation Calling for Help
The Somali government is appealing to the international community for urgent assistance:
food supplies, clean water, medical support, and sustainable climate funding.
Local leaders and humanitarian agencies emphasize that early action can save lives now and protect vulnerable families from the full impact of the drought.
A Humanitarian Emergency That Cannot Be Ignored
Somalia’s drought is not just an environmental issue — it is a human crisis affecting millions of lives.
Women, children, and displaced families are bearing the brunt of a disaster they did not create.
As the world’s attention shifts from crisis to crisis, Somalia’s suffering deepens.
What happens in the coming weeks will determine whether the country avoids another devastating famine — or faces yet another preventable tragedy.
Original East will continue to follow developments on the ground as Somalia fights to protect its people from one of the worst droughts in recent years
