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Somalia faces longest drought in history as WFP aids 3.5 million people
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    Tuesday April 25, 2023

     
    A WFP-backed food distribution in Adadle, Ethiopia in January. Photo: WFP/Claire Nevill


    Mogadishu (HOL) - Somalia is on the brink of experiencing the longest drought in its history, following five consecutive failed rainy seasons. The World Food Programme (WFP) provided life-saving humanitarian food assistance to 3.5 million people in the country in March 2023. However, due to predicted shortfalls in resource availability, the WFP plans to scale down and prioritize its humanitarian food assistance coverage starting in April.

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    The ongoing drought in Somalia has led to the death of almost four million livestock, and recent cereal harvests have been significantly below long-term averages. Prices of essential food staples continue to increase, compounding the crisis as other climate shocks, conflict, and instability exacerbate the hunger crisis.

    Somalia has grappled with political instability and conflict for decades, further complicating the region's humanitarian efforts. Extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab have hindered the delivery of assistance and increased the population's vulnerability. Climate change has also led to more frequent and severe climate shocks, putting extra pressure on the country's fragile systems.

    According to the latest Food Security Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) assessment results, 6.5 million people are projected to face Crisis-level or worse food insecurity between April and June 2023. If the next rainy season fails and humanitarian assistance cannot reach those most in need, 223,000 people will likely face Catastrophic hunger. 1.8 million children under five years are estimated to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2023, with 478,000 of them likely to face life-threatening severe malnutrition.

    Early seasonal climate forecasts indicate a 50 percent likelihood of a potential onset of a sixth below-average rainy season from March–June 2023. This, combined with high food prices and political instability, may result in persistently poor household food, nutrition, and income outcomes, and continued high levels of humanitarian need across the country.
     

     





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