MOGADISHU, SOMALIA – FEBRUARY 25, 2025 –A staggering 3.4 million Somalis, nearly one in five, are struggling to find their next meal. This number could rise to 4.4 million by June 2025, when nearly a quarter of the population will lack sufficient food.
The latest Somalia Integrated Food Phase Classification report indicates that 1.7 million children under the age of five will face the brutal reality of malnutrition with 466,000 projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger, by December 2025. Climate change and conflict have led to poor harvests, worsening the hunger situation.
“This is more than a crisis—it is a catastrophe unfolding before our eyes, threatening to erase hard-won progress, especially for women and girls,” said Ummkalthum Dubow, CARE Somalia Country Director.
“Girls are being forced to drop out of school as struggling families resort to harmful coping mechanisms, such as early or forced marriage, to ease financial burdens. The decline in funding is deeply alarming, as it will leave countless people without the food assistance they desperately need, further escalating the humanitarian crisis and endangering even more lives,” she added.
Currently, an estimated 3.5 million people in Somalia are internally displaced. As the humanitarian situation worsens, displacement is expected to rise, further exposing women and girls to heightened risks and deepening their vulnerability. Pregnant women are traveling long distances, – over 300 kilometers in search of maternal services. Thousands of children, especially girls, face the risk of dropping out of school. An increase in school dropouts is not only threatening girls’ futures but also deepening a cycle of poverty. In the past, girls have been married off early by their parents so that they have one less mouth to feed and, in the process, get some money as part of the bride price. As the situation deteriorates, the likelihood of this practice increasing is high.
Saido once lived in Jehdin village, 30km east of Galkayo, caring for her 200 goats, 5 camels, and 2 donkeys. Intense dry spells wiped out her livestock, her only source of food and income, leaving her family with nothing. With no choice but to move, they embarked on a grueling five-day journey to search for food and water. Along the way, her children fell ill, and her daughter-in-law did not survive. Now, in a crowded displacement camp, Saido and her children’s survival is a daily struggle. “We beg for food, but many nights, my children go to bed hungry,” Saido says. “They are weak from malnutrition. We need food, clean water, and a chance to rebuild our lives,”
Dwindling and discontinued funding to critical humanitarian interventions across Somalia will have devastating consequences. 2024 saw a drastic reduction in funding for the country’s Humanitarian Response Plan. This year’s outlook is even grimmer, as only 12.4% of the response plan has thus far been secured.
“The prolonged dry spell and conflict have heightened the vulnerability of women and girls to violence and exploitation. We are urging the international community to scale up assistance to these communities who are once again facing severe food insecurity,” said Amina Hagi Elmi, Executive Director of Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC) Executive Director Amina Hagi Elmi who is also a CARE Partner.
Urgent collective action is needed to support vulnerable Somali communities teetering on the edge of catastrophe. CARE Somalia is urging donors to honour pledges as well as prioritise funding for humanitarian programs to ensure life-saving assistance reaches those in desperate need. Protection of women, girls and other vulnerable groups as well as efforts to sustain children’s education during the crisis should be prioritised alongside other life-saving interventions.
