MOGADISHU (Somalia), Nov 20 (Bernama-Anadolu) — Nearly a quarter of Somalia’s population is facing acute hunger, with 1.85 million children under five at risk of severe malnutrition, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
The WFP said in a statement that the Horn of Africa nation’s climate outlook remains grim, with La Nina and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole expected to prolong erratic rainfall and drought across the country.
“Conditions are expected to intensify drought in the north, hamper recovery efforts in the south and heighten the risk of crop failure, livestock losses and water scarcity,” the statement said.
The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also reported that drought conditions have worsened in northern regions and are spreading to central and southern Somalia.
The situation is particularly serious in Nugaal, Mudug, Bari and Sanaag regions, which are experiencing the fourth consecutive season of poor rains.
“Millions of people are at risk of worsening hunger and malnutrition due to funding shortfalls,” the UN office warned.
In November, the number of people receiving food assistance is expected to fall to 350,000, down from 1.1 million in August, according to OCHA.
The UN, citing local authorities, said water prices have risen from US$12 to US$15 for a 200-litre barrel and are expected to climb further, placing additional pressure on nearly 35,000 displaced people in parts of Puntland state.
Somalia endured five consecutive seasons of failed rains between late 2020 and late 2022, the longest in recent decades, leading to a severe drought in 2023 that has left five million people in acute food insecurity.
According to the UN, the East African country witnessed one of the worst famines in 2011, which claimed over 26,000 lives.
— BERNAMA-ANADOLU