It would be difficult for many people to imagine how starvation feels. Extreme hunger and thirst without relief.

Somalia, having been ranked the eighth poorest country in the world (Global Finance Magazine), is facing a myriad of crises from terrorism, extreme climate changes, displacement of people, poverty and food crisis.

 Having started in 2015, the severe drought that hit the country is not letting up and millions of Somalis continue to suffer as they await substantial rainfall. According to Concern Worldwide USA, the country has only had one sufficient rainfall season since 2011.  It is estimated that at least two million people face acute levels of hunger and 1.8 million children under the age of five face acute malnutrition (Reliefweb 2025-2026 Drought Emergency – Situation Report No. 5). The drought hits people and animals alike, as the people lose numerous livestock on a daily basis. This has been made even worse by the rising fuel prices caused by the Iran-US war because Somalia imports a vast majority of its essential commodities. This has caused a rise in cost of basic items such as food, medicine, transport and sanitation materials.

 The country desperately needs substantial rainfall, but when it does come, flooding quickly follows as the drought has made the soil too hard to absorb the water. According to WHO, the extreme flooding in 2019 caused approximately 370,000 people to be displaced. In recent years, flooding has consistently caused displacement as well as the spreading of water borne diseases and deaths. The land continues to be stripped of healthy soil and the people left homeless, cold, sick and hungry. In 2022, when the world was recovering from COVID-19 and its aftereffects, the East African region experienced drought which hit Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. For Somalia this was the worst drought  in their history. According to scientists this is estimated to have been made 100 times more likely due to  human-caused climate change.

 The effects of such a harsh climate have left the people emaciated, particularly children. Children are the most vulnerable and are not spared from the insecurity caused by the extremist group Al Shabaab; mass displacements, food insecurity and diseases. Now, after four consecutive failed rainy seasons, the country’s food reserves have been depleted. An assessment by Save the Children into the needs in six regions showed nine out of 10 households experience poor food consumption which means children face an imminent risk of severe malnutrition. The lack of food is impacting education with more than 1,100 children dropping out of school in Gedo region, Southern Somalia, and nearly half of households in Galgadud region withdrawing children from education due to migration and to look for food. These children not only suffer from malnutrition, but they also lack access too proper healthcare, education, as well as facing heightened risk of child abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

 Further, according to European Union Agency for Asylum, women and girls in Somalia have reportedly been subjected to rape, sometimes combined with homicide. A  lack of accountability for the perpetrators has led to an increase in harmful traditional practices, domestic violence and (conflict-related)  rapes and gang rapes, exposing victims to sexually transmitted diseases and infections; unplanned pregnancies and mental health issues.. Women and children are often victimized if they speak up. Besides family members, unidentified perpetrators, Al-Shabaab fighters and state actors are all mentioned as perpetrators of sexual violence. Sexual slavery and abductions by Al-Shabaab have also been reported. Justice is not readily available for such victims because of systemic delays and failure to hold  perpetrators accountable. With the persistent drought, cases continue to increase yet the victims lack secure rescue centers. .

 Many Somalis battle with mental health issues caused by the crisis, displacement and the effects of khat/miraa which is the popular drug. In an article by PubMed Central, it is perceived that about 95% of people suffering from mental illness remain outside of appropriate care. Few people seek care for mental health problems because they are not aware it exists, or if so, feel that  it is highly stigmatized. Those who do seek help usually turn to traditional healers on the grounds of  culture and cost. Resources are grossly inadequate with a limited and often poorly trained workforce. The underfunded health system leaves very little resources to cater for mental health issues.

 Multiple communicable diseases continue to be reported across the country, with three major outbreaks currently ongoing. Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD)/Cholera, Diphtheria and Measles all of which remain widespread and pose significant public health risks. From the first week of 2025 through the end of the year, 3,655 diphtheria cases and 143 deaths (CFR 4%) were reported from 65 districts, with transmission continuing into 2026 as 371 cases and 11 deaths were recorded in Week 1-4 of 2026 across 30 districts (Health Cluster Bulletin).

 However, there are great strides being taken to help the country stabilise such as the Multipurpose Cash (MPC).

MPC is an unconditional, unrestricted, lifesaving, multi-sectoral cash assistance mechanism designed to empower vulnerable or crisis-affected households to meet their urgent basic needs (OCHA).

The key objectives of MPC in Somalia are to:

1. Enable vulnerable or crisis-affected households to meet their immediate, urgent basic needs and mitigate protection risk.

2. Serve as an immediate lifesaving or first-line response mechanism.

3. Act as a gap-filling intervention where significant unmet needs persist.

 The Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) 2026 applies a strict, severity-based prioritisation. The plan targets life-saving assistance for 2.4 million people across 64 drought affected districts, with particular focus on 1.6 million people living in the 21 highest severity districts where multi sectoral needs are most acute. This approach reflects difficult but necessary choices to ensure that limited resources reach those facing the greatest risk.

 Fun fact: According to a survey done by NGO Explorer, Somalia has the highest number of NGOs in Africa at 492.

 Various key organisations have been actively helping the people of Somalia and they include, but are not limited to:

 ·       World Health Organisation (WHO)

·       UN World Food Programme (WFP)

·       United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

·       Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

·       International Rescue Committee (IRC)

·       Save the Children

·       Gedo Women Development Organization (GEWDO)

·       Care International

·       Concern Worldwide

 The WHO implemented a range of key interventions aimed at strengthening health service delivery and enhancing outbreak preparedness and response across Somalia. These activities focus on supporting health facilities, building the capacity of health workers, and responding to emerging public health threats.

 CARE International is a leading humanitarian organszation that has delivered emergency aid and development programs in Somalia for over four decades. Its integrated programming focuses on health, nutrition—particularly for women and children—WASH, education, protection (including GBV prevention and response), economic empowerment, and disaster response, working across most regions of Somalia to address drought, conflict, and poverty.

 UNICEF continues to strengthen Somalia’s primary healthcare system by currently supporting 332 health facilities and 6 mobile clinics to ensure access to essential health services for women and children.

 MARDO is a national NGO with a strong presence in Southwest Somalia. It implements health and humanitarian interventions across 10 districts in Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle regions.

 New Ways Organisation, established in 1993, is a Somali-based civil society organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable development across multiple sectors, including Food Security, Livelihoods, Climate Action Advocacy, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation, WASH, Education, Nutrition, Health, Good Governance, Cash Programming, Protection (Child Protection and GBV), Social Inclusion (Women, Youth, Persons with Disabilities, and marginalized groups), and Youth and Women Empowerment.

 Population Services International (PSI) is an international NGO supporting delivery of quality health services across Federal Member States and Banadir through public and private sector platforms. PSI supports static health facilities through service delivery strengthening, health worker capacity building, provision of medical supplies, and improved access to family planning and primary health services in coordination with the Federal Ministry of Health, State Ministries of Health, and Health Cluster partners.

 However, these organisations face challenges in service delivery. Some of these challenges include corruption which is prevalent in most African countries. It is highlighted in a report by Transparency International that there is diversion of aid so less resources reach the intended beneficiaries. “Gatekeepers” also divert funding from the target beneficiaries to their own people or pockets. Aid meant for Somali civilians is also feared to be diverted to fund Al Shabaab criminal activities (Transparency International).

 Severe funding cuts have forced Food Security Cluster (OCHA) partners to reduce cash transfer values, duration of assistance, and cut caseloads by over 70 per cent, leaving over 1.5 million vulnerable people in IPC Phase 4 Emergency —without critical emergency food and livelihoods assistance. There is also limited humanitarian assistance in rural and underserved hard-to-reach rural areas where acute food insecurity and malnutrition are highest. There is also the security risk posed by Al Shabaab through seizures of aid supplies and abduction of aid workers so they can demand ransom payments.

 Africa, has the potential to be self-sufficient so why do more than 50 million people in Africa require emergency food aid annually, making it the continent that now gets the most food aid?

 The first reason is weak economic growth. Throughout evolution, food security and economic development have worked together to reinforce one another. Therefore, economic expansion is the most effective tool for combating poverty, increasing food security, and enhancing the quality of life in underdeveloped nations. However, poverty and food insecurity persist over much of the continent despite recent improvements in economic growth rates.  However, the current economic growth rates are still insufficient to significantly reduce extreme poverty and allow these countries to catch up with other developing nations. In alleviating poverty and raising living standards, these nations need to see actual per capita GDP growth rates rise steadily and significantly (PubMed Central).

 The second would be food price inflation where 50 percent spike in food prices might result in a 5.8 percent increase in world poverty, and that increasing the price shock from 50 to 100 percent could double the estimated global poverty estimate to 13 percentage points (Ivanic M., Martin W.J. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper).

 Drought directly affects food production and is a major issue in African countries. Droughts have killed more people than any other natural disaster since the turn of the century and have affected more than twice as many people worldwide (Ngcamu B., Chari F. Drought influences on food insecurity in Africa). The other causes include climate change, low investment in Agricultural innovations and research, high population growth, conflicts and corruption.

 Amidst the world wars, Somalia might not be getting sufficient attention and funding. However, according to State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Somalia, this could present an opportunity for the country’s growth. He says, “As maritime trade routes face growing contestation, Somalia’s security, sovereignty, and economic integration are vital to protecting regional supply chains and collective Arab security.”