Food crisis linked to rising conflict in Somalia’s breadbasket, Islamic Relief warns

A new report from Islamic Relief Somalia shows that food insecurity is worsening conflicts in Somalia's Bay region. Droughts, floods, and ongoing violence are deepening poverty and driving displacement, creating a vicious cycle of hunger and instability. 

The report spotlights how competition for scarce food resources fuels tensions within communities, leading to conflict and further displacement.

The study, Community Perceptions of Food Insecurity as a Driver of Conflict, focuses on the districts of Baidoa, Berdale, and Dinsoor. These areas, once known as Somalia's "breadbasket," have seen farming collapse due to a combination of insecurity, climate change, and extortion by armed groups. Farmers have been forced to abandon their land, worsening food shortages and driving many into overcrowded camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).