Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
Around six million people in Somalia - nearly one in three of the population - are currently experiencing acute hunger, while 1.9 million children are acutely malnourished, according to the agency.
The World Food Programme (WFP) said it may be forced to suspend humanitarian assistance from July if new funding is not secured. The agency has already been compelled to significantly scale back its operations, reducing the number of people it can support from two million to around 500,000.
Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, said Somalia is facing one of the world’s most severe malnutrition emergencies.
“Somalia faces a really severe malnutrition crisis and is one of the biggest malnutrition hotspots in the world,” he said, speaking to reporters in Geneva via video link from Rome.
The crisis has been driven by multiple failed rainy seasons, which have devastated crops and livestock, alongside ongoing conflict and insecurity.
Somalia continues to face overlapping security challenges, including a long-running Islamist insurgency by Al-Shabaab, as well as political tensions between the federal government in Mogadishu and regional authorities.
Humanitarian agencies warn that the combination of climate shocks and instability is pushing vulnerable communities into increasingly dangerous levels of food insecurity.
Aid agencies say the situation is now more difficult than during the 2022 drought emergency, when Somalia was on the brink of famine but large-scale international assistance helped avert the worst outcomes.
This time, however, humanitarian organisations are facing severe funding shortages, limiting their ability to respond at scale. The WFP has warned that without urgent financial support, life-saving operations could be forced to shut down.
The humanitarian response is also being affected by global supply chain disruptions, including delays of up to 40 days in the delivery of ready-to-use therapeutic food used to treat severe malnutrition.
Hollingworth said these disruptions, combined with reduced funding, are severely constraining emergency food assistance programmes.
The WFP has urged international donors to step up support to prevent further deterioration of the crisis. Without immediate intervention, aid agencies warn that millions more people could face extreme hunger in the coming months, deepening an already critical humanitarian emergency in Somalia.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "an...
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure. ...
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage America...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatened to complica...
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap el...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred".
The United States has launched an investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies to determine whether they unfairly disadvantage American companies and restrict U.S. commerce.
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap elections.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 20 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
Fuel stations in Russian-controlled Crimea stopped selling fuel to individuals and businesses from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the Russian-installed governor said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the violent attacks in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Friday, which left five men injured, were motivated by "anti-Muslim hatred".
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday for peace talks with Iran, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatened to complicate a fragile 60-day ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Thousands gathered in Novi Sad, Serbia, to commemorate the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 railway station awning collapse and renew calls for snap elections.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment