The current, severe drought slamming Ethiopia and Sudan is a prime example of what many equator-ial regions can expect as Global Warming progresses. Millions of Somalians are ‘on the move’, as is their custom when living conditions at home become unliveable…
“More than 3 million people in Somalia have left their homes following a devastating drought that has hit the country’s rural regions,” correspondent Timothy McGill writes at The Cool Down. “It is estimated that almost 6 million people in the East African country need aid. Of those in need of help, 1.85 million are children.”
Disaster on an immense scale
I’m genuinely surprised that the Western World’s media have not picked up on this disaster sooner. The victims of African drought need lifesaving help as never before – on a scale equal to the great Ethiopian-Somalian famine of 1983 – 1985.
And children are being particularly hard hit.
Save The Children International (STCI) said, in a statement: “Children in Somalia are facing a catas-trophic hunger crisis after four consecutive failed rainy seasons completely exhausted food reserves in several regions with the next few months critical to prevent avoidable deaths. […] A new assess-ment of needs found nine out of 10 homes – or 93 percent of households in Benadir (Mogadishu) and 90% in Galgadud (Central Somalia) – are experiencing ‘poor’ food availability.”
“This indicates near-total exhaustion of reserves and children facing imminent risk of severe mal-nutrition,” the assessment summed up: “Only 2 percent of families have an adequate diet.”
Bad to worse
The Somalian famine crisis comes just as the region enters its annual, “harsh January-March dry season after back-to-back failed rainy seasons since last year.” The Somalian Government declared a drought emergency in November, 2025, the first time to do so since the country narrowly averted famine in 2022.
“Across Somalia, an estimated 4.4 million people – almost one quarter of the population – are pro-jected to face acute food insecurity and malnutrition through mid-2026.”
Funding cuts
The crisis is being compounded by significant funding cuts to humanitarian operations. Food assist-ance coverage has dropped sharply, from reaching 1.1 million people in August 2025 to just 350,000 by November. More than 200 health and nutrition facilities have closed nationwide, and over 1.7 million vulnerable people have lost access to protection services.
Mohamed Mohamud Hassan, Country Director for Save the Children in Somalia, said: “The crisis un-folding in Somalia represents a betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children and families. After enduring years of drought that pushed them to the brink of famine in 2022, Somali families are being abandoned just when they need support most.”
“Our assessment completed in December found that in some areas, every single household is relying on extreme emergency measures just to survive,” he noted. “Children are arriving at health centres in critical condition as families survive on just one meal a day. The next few months are critical to pre-venting avoidable deaths, and the international community must act now.”
My take
I wonder how the Gaza situation has influenced the cuts in international aid to Somalia? The world has been pouring assistance into that war-ravaged region since daily hostilities ceased.
One thing is certain… The world MUST NOT FORGET Somalia in this time of monumental need!
~ Maggie J.