NAIROBI, February 24. /TASS/. Acute hunger stemming from the ongoing drought threatens a third of Somalia's population, or about 6.5 million people, Somali Disaster Management Agency Commissioner Mahamud Moallim and George Conway, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said in a joint statement.
They said that 6.5 million people will feel an acute food insecurity in February-March, or almost two times more than at the beginning of 2025. Of these, more than two million people are already in a dire need of assistance.
"The drought has reached an extremely critical level, affecting many regions with severe food shortages, lack of water, and increasing displacement. Deaths linked to hunger and thirst, especially among children and the elderly, can be confirmed," the statement said.
Conway called on the international community "to rapidly increase financial and emergency support for millions at risk" to prevent the crisis from escalating into a full-scale famine. Moallim said the crisis has a particularly strong impact on children. According to the Integrated Classification of Food Security Phases, in 2026, 1.84 million children in Somalia under five are at risk from malnutrition, including 483,000 cases that require urgent treatment.
The government of Somalia declared a state of emergency in November over drought after the country had received less rainfall than usual for several years.
In January, the United Nations developed an $852 million assistance plan for Somalia, which is supposed to help 2.4 million people.