SOMALIA: Children Facing Catastrophic Hunger as Drought Decimates Crops, Livestock

MOGADISHU, Somalia (Jan. 27, 2026) – Children in Somalia are facing a catastrophic hunger crisis after four consecutive failed rainy seasons completely exhausted food reserves in several regions. The next few months are critical to prevent avoidable deaths, according to Save the Children.

A new assessment of needs in six regions by Save the Children found that 9 out of 10 homes are experiencing "poor" food consumption – 93% of households in the Benadir region and 90% in the Galgadud region. This indicates near-total exhaustion of reserves and children facing imminent risk of severe malnutrition. Only 2% of families have an adequate diet.¹

The lack of food is impacting education, with more than 1,100 children dropping out of school in the Gedo region in Southern Somalia. Nearly half of households in the Galgadud region in Central Somalia are withdrawing children from education due to migration and to look for food, according to the assessment.

Save the Children teams found that families are already adopting extreme coping mechanisms. In the Gedo region, all households assessed were found to be skipping meals or reducing portions. In the Benadir and Hiiran regions, 87% and 92% of families, respectively, were skipping meals, reducing portions, and selling livestock and tools – ending the supply of meat and milk.

The crisis comes as Somalia enters the harsh dry season between January and March, after back-to-back failed rainy seasons since last year. The Federal Government declared a drought emergency in November 2025 for the first time since the country narrowly averted famine in 2022.²

Across Somalia, an estimated 4.4 million people – almost one quarter of the population – are projected to face crisis-level hunger, while 1.85 million children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition through mid-2026.³

The crisis is being compounded by significant funding cuts to humanitarian operations. Food assistance coverage has dropped sharply, reaching 1.1 million people in August 2025 and 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 unfolding 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.

"Children are arriving at health centers in critical condition as families survive on just one meal a day. The next few months are critical to preventing avoidable deaths, and the international community must act now."

A community representative in the Afgooye District told assessment teams:

"Nearly every family has lost their entire livelihood. Our fields of maize and sorghum have failed completely — there is nothing left to harvest. For livestock, almost every household has lost their animals to hunger and thirst or was forced to abandon them while fleeing. I estimate that over 90% of our small livestock has perished. Families are arriving at the camp with nothing — no food, no animals, and not even basic household tools."

Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of the 6 million people requiring assistance, prioritize support for nutrition and health programs to prevent child deaths, invest in longer-term resilience programming, and ensure aid reaches the most vulnerable populations.

In December 2025, Save the Children helped over 84,000 people, including 52,000 children, source essential supplies. Nutrition programs reached 50,000 people, including 27,000 children, while health services reached nearly 30,000 people. The organization is providing mobile health and nutrition teams, emergency water trucking, and child protection services across affected areas.

Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services.

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References:

[1] Data from a Save the Children Rapid Needs Assessment Report: Somalia/Somaliland, December 2025. The Rapid Needs Assessment was conducted between 16-24 December 2025 across seven districts in six regions: Benadir (Deynile, Kahda), Galgadud (Dhusamareb), Gedo (Dollow), Hiiran (Beledweyne), Lower Shabelle (Afgooye), and Togdheer (Burao). A total of 629 households (3,774 people) were surveyed.

[2] UN News, "Somalia declares drought emergency as millions face hunger after failed rains," 26 November 2025. 

[3] European Commission, Humanitarian Aid - Somalia.