The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that its life-saving aid programmes for millions of people could be disrupted in the coming weeks if it does not urgently secure sufficient funding to continue emergency food and nutrition assistance in Somalia.
A senior WFP official, Ross Smith, Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, said that nearly two million children in Somalia are suffering from acute malnutrition.
He noted that the country is facing one of the most severe hunger crises in recent years, as a result of two consecutive poor rainy seasons, escalating conflict and a decline in humanitarian funding.
He said the current financial crisis has forced WFP to significantly reduce the number of people benefiting from emergency food assistance.
That number, which was 2.2 million people in early 2025, has now fallen to just over 600,000 people, meaning that only one in seven people in need of assistance is being helped to survive.
Similarly, nutrition programs for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children have been significantly reduced, with the number of beneficiaries falling from 400,000 in October 2025 to 90,000 last December.
The official warned that the situation is rapidly deteriorating, with many families losing their sources of livelihood, pushing them to the brink of famine.
Finally, the agency said it urgently needs $95 million to continue supporting the most vulnerable people between March and August 2026. It warned that without this funding, humanitarian assistance to Somalia could come to a standstill next April.
