Somalias Emergency Food Aid May Run Out by April Due to Severe Hunger

UN Agency Warns of Potential Cutoff of Emergency Food Aid to Somalia

The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a warning that its emergency food assistance in Somalia may be forced to halt by April due to a lack of funding. According to the WFP, Somalia is facing one of the most complex hunger crises in recent years, driven by consecutive failed rainy seasons, conflict, and a decline in humanitarian funding.

As of now, at least 4.4 million people, roughly a quarter of the population, are experiencing crisis-levels of food insecurity or worse. This includes nearly one million women, men, and children who are experiencing severe hunger. The WFP has already reduced its emergency food assistance from 2.2 million in early 2025 to around 600,000.

The agency’s director of emergency preparedness and response, Ross Smith, stated that the situation is deteriorating rapidly and families have lost everything. Without immediate support, conditions will worsen quickly. The WFP has been forced to slash its nutrition programmes from assisting nearly 400,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children in October last year to 90,000 in December.

The agency’s reduced assistance would result in only one in seven people receiving food aid, according to the report. Smith warned that if the agency’s assistance ends, the humanitarian, security, and economic consequences will be devastating, affecting not only Somalia but also countries beyond its borders.

Source: Al Jazeera