UN report reveals 4.6 million people struggling with food insecurity
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Somali mothers wait at an overcrowded clinic as funding cuts force health centers to close—millions now face hunger and malnutrition.
UN Report: 4.6 Million Somalis Face Hunger as Aid Cuts Deepen Crisis
Somalia is once again in the grip of a severe humanitarian crisis, with 4.6 million people struggling with food insecurity and nearly two million children expected to suffer acute malnutrition this year, according to a new United Nations report released on Tuesday.
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, revealed to journalists that the scale of the crisis is worsening. He stated that food assistance across Somalia has been slashed by half compared to last year. This dramatic decline in support is leaving families without enough to eat and exposing children to life-threatening hunger.
Adding to the growing catastrophe is the collapse of critical healthcare services. Dujarric noted that nearly 150 health clinics have been affected by the funding shortfalls, with “hundreds of thousands of individuals lacking access to essential healthcare.”
At the heart of this crisis is a major funding gap. The UN’s $1.4 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Somalia is only 15 percent funded, with just $222 million currently available. Aid workers warn that without rapid intervention, the consequences will be devastating—especially for children under five.
U.S. Aid Cuts Compound Somalia’s Plight
The crisis is being worsened by the sharp decline in support from the United States, historically Somalia’s largest single donor. According to previous Associated Press reporting, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) once provided around 65% of Somalia’s foreign aid. However, much of that assistance has disappeared in recent years, particularly during the Trump administration.
Dr. Abdiqani Sheikh Omar, former Director General of Somalia’s Ministry of Health and now a government advisor, said the disappearance of U.S. funds has been a heavy blow to the country’s health system. “It’s hard to watch health workers powerless as clinics shut down,” he said. “And it’s heartbreaking to see mothers unable to feed or care for their children.”
A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department told the AP that “several lifesaving USAID humanitarian assistance programs are operational in Somalia, including those that provide food and nutrition support to children,” and assured that efforts are ongoing to sustain these programs. However, there remains confusion on the ground.
Aid organizations have voiced concern over the lack of clarity surrounding the U.S. aid transition. Many still do not know which programs will be classified as “lifesaving” or how much funding will be available after July 1, when many USAID responsibilities shift to the State Department.
A Country on the Brink
Somalia has long been vulnerable to droughts, conflict, and poverty, but recent shocks have deepened the suffering. The country has faced back-to-back years of erratic rainfall and displacement, leaving families without reliable sources of food, clean water, or income.
Dujarric stressed that the UN and its partners are doing everything possible to respond but are constrained by limited resources. “Our concern is that without urgent funding, the humanitarian crisis will only get worse,” he warned.
Somalia’s children are among the hardest hit. With 1.8 million children under five projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, humanitarian workers say they are witnessing heartbreaking scenes of emaciated infants and overcrowded clinics. Many fear that unless international donors—especially the U.S.—step up their support, the country could face another famine-like situation.
The sense of urgency is rising. Dujarric concluded by urging the global community not to look away. “The world must act now to prevent more suffering,” he said.
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