WFP warns of escalating hunger crisis in Somalia due to drought and funding cuts
The World Food Programme has warned that an additional one million people could face crisis levels of hunger in the coming months, as drought forecasts for the next crop cycle and significant funding cuts deepen the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.
The Director of the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service at the World Food Programme, Jean-Martin Bauer, explained that the number of people facing severe food insecurity in Somalia could rise from 3.4 million to 4.4 million people in the near future, putting millions of Somalis at risk of hunger.
According to the programme’s estimates, 1.7 million children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by December 2025, with 466,000 of them suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The WFP warning underscores the urgent need for urgent action to avoid further suffering and protect lives.
Currently, WFP is providing assistance to 820,000 people in Somalia, a significant decrease compared to the 2.2 million people assisted during the peak of the crisis in 2022.
Power noted that the situation could worsen if additional funding is not secured, as negative weather forecasts, reduced funding, rising food prices, and the ongoing conflict could contribute to a worsening humanitarian crisis.
In this context, the Somali government, in collaboration with international partners, is working to mitigate the impact of drought, improve food security and build resilience to future shocks.
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