Somalia: 2025 Drought Emergency - Situation Report No. 1 (As of 27 November 2025)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Drought conditions are spreading in Somalia, compounding an already serious humanitarian situation. Affected areas are facing critical water and food shortages, among other needs.
  • The UN Emergency Response Coordinator has allocated US$10 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund for drought early action in Somalia, targeting over 603,000 people.
  • On 10 November, the Federal Government declared a drought emergency across Somalia. The situation is projected to worsen as forecasts indicate continuing severe drought conditions and high temperatures.
  • The drought conditions are spreading at time when funding shortfalls have forced humanitarian agencies to scale back assistance. The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan only 23.7 per cent funded.
  • At least 4.4 million people—more than one-fifth of the population—are projected to face high levels of hunger from October to December. An estimated 1.85 million children under 5 are expected to suffer acute malnutrition through July 2026.

KEY FIGURES

US$10M Funds allocated by the UN for early action.

33.5K Households in critical need of water in Gedo.

4.4M People projected to face acute food insecurity in Oct-Dec.

1.85M Children projected to suffer acute malnutrition through July 2026.

23.7% Funding received so far for 2025 humanitarian response plan.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Severe drought conditions are unfolding in several regions of Somalia following the failure of the Deyr (October to December) rains, compounding an already serious humanitarian crisis. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated US$10 million from the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund for drought early action in Somalia, targeting over 603,000 people.

Appeals for support have come from multiple regions, with authorities calling for an urgent scale-up of assistance to avert the collapse of livelihoods, mitigate the impact of widespread water and food shortages, and contain possible loss of lives. Humanitarian partners are working with authorities to better understand the evolving crisis and plan how to respond despite limited resources due to funding reductions.

According to the FAO GIEWS (Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture) Special Alert on Somalia released on 24 November:

• Drought conditions in key southern cereal producing areas during October and the first half of November 2025 have negatively impacted the establishment and development of Deyr crops, expected to be harvested in January 2026.

• Dry conditions also prevailed in northern and central pastoral areas, already affected by two consecutive poor rainy seasons, worsening water and pasture shortages and severely affecting livestock.

• The drought is expected to aggravate the already difficult food insecurity situation, with about one-quarter of the population currently estimated to face severe acute food insecurity.

An urgent scale-up of livelihood support and food assistance is needed to avert the collapse of local livelihoods, widespread and severe food shortages, and loss of lives.

UPDATE BY AREA

Partners in Galmudug State have reported acute drought conditions, water scarcity, hunger and displacement in 13 villages in Hobyo district. Nine villages lack health services and have received no cash assistance for six months. On 18 November, authorities in Ceelbuur district reported that in 25 accessible villages bordering Guriceel town, 21 lack access to clean, safe water. The area has been under the influence of non-state armed groups for 15 years, with no major humanitarian activities, and is reportedly facing severe levels of hunger. The State faces a severe burden of acute malnutrition, with recent assessments indicating alarmingly high Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) prevalence among displaced and rural populations. Rates are exceptionally elevated, reaching 24.8 per cent among displaced people in Gaalkacyo and 20 per cent among those in Dhuusamarreeb, underscoring the critical nutrition crisis.

In Hirshabelle State, prolonged dry spells in Balcad district have disrupted livelihoods, reduced agricultural productivity, and worsened hunger; with an estimated 250,000 people impacted by the drought conditions. Livestock health has deteriorated, causing a drop in market prices. The eastern and coastal villages are hardest hit, with drought conditions persisting for four consecutive seasons, compounded by clan-based conflicts. An estimated 1,470 households (8,820 people) have reportedly been displaced from villages to Warsheikh town. Critical water shortages are reported in Hiilweyne village, affecting up to 1,500 households (9,000 people). Despite recent light rains, the area had experienced three consecutive seasons of poor precipitation. In Jowhar, prices of local food commodities—including maize, rice, beans, sesame and vegetables - have reportedly surged by 60 per cent.

Nearly all districts in Jubaland State have been affected by persistent drought conditions, according to partners, with Kismayo, Badhaadhe, Ceel Waaq, Bua’ale, Afmadow and Garbahaarey districts worst hit. In Dhobley, authorities report that the district has received newly displaced families from Middle Juba and rural villages; the numbers are yet to be verified. In Gedo region, an estimated 33,496 households (200,000 people) in Baardheere, Luuq, Belet Xaawo, Ceel Waaq, Doolow, Garbahaarey, and Buurdhuubo districts are reportedly facing critical water shortages due the cost of trucked water which has risen, with a 200-litre barrel costing US$6, up from $2.5 in some areas. Boreholes, shallow wells, and water pans are drying up. On 25 November, the Jubaland Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management released a rapid drought assessment report noting that an estimated 1.5 million people require aid, 78 per cent of households are facing food insecurity, and over 2 million livestock are at risk. Reportedly, communities are facing increasing health and livelihood challenges. Partners reported that more than 2,000 families have been displaced to Afmadow town; a situation compounded by ongoing armed conflict that has displaced about 4,000 families in Jamame district, Lower Juba.

On 10 November, Puntland State authorities appealed to humanitarian partners and donors to scale up the response to the drought conditions. According to the authorities, nearly one million people need support, including 130,000 in immediate need of assistance. A 23 November assessment by authorities in Jariiban district found that 1,370 people had been displaced to the district from Bari, Galgaduud, and Mudug south regions. Over 130 strategic boreholes were non-functional, and health services were insufficient due to funding constraints. Additionally, the Puntland State Ministry of Education and Education Cluster partners have reported the closure of 36 rural schools, affecting over 26,500 learners; more are expected to close as the drought conditions persist. Across Puntland, an estimated 50,000 people have moved from rural villages to urban centres. Reports indicate that some affected people have migrated to the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia in search of water and pasture for their livestock.

On 18 November, South West State authorities warned that dry conditions have caused severe water scarcity, widespread crop failure, and increased livestock diseases in Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle regions. Pastoral and agro-pastoral households have exhausted their coping mechanisms, and displaced populations are at heightened risk of further hardship. In one of the hardest hit districts, Waajid in Bakool, water prices have risen to US$1.7 per 200-liter barrel, up from $0.5. The authorities have called for emergency water supply and rehabilitation of boreholes; food and cash assistance to severely affected households; livestock feed and veterinary services to prevent animal losses; expanded nutrition interventions for malnourished children and pregnant and lactating women; and mobile health outreach for pastoral settlements and displacement sites.

On 23 November, Somaliland appealed for assistance for one million people. The consecutive failure of rains this year has caused water reservoirs to dry up, increased the pressure on the few functioning boreholes, and led to rising food insecurity. Pasture and water shortages are forcing pastoral communities to move long distances or depend on costly trucked water. Agricultural production has collapsed, leaving households without food stocks or seeds for the next planting season, further eroding resilience and increasing vulnerability. Additionally, the State Ministry of Education has reported drought conditions have forced more than 45,000 students to drop out of class or to relocate with their families in search of pasture and water for their livestock.

Female-headed households and persons with disabilities are among the worst affected, facing restricted access to aid due to limited mobility, documentation barriers, and entrenched clan and patriarchal gatekeeping. Repeated displacement and loss of livelihoods have increased harmful coping strategies and exposure to gender-based violence, while essential services—such as reproductive health care, menstrual hygiene, safe water, disability-inclusive facilities, and gender-based violence support—remain scarce or inaccessible in many drought-affected areas.

The current drought conditions have exacerbated Somalia’s already dire humanitarian situation. At least 4.4 million people—more than one-fifth of the population—are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity from October to December 2025. An estimated 1.85 million children under 5 are expected to suffer acute malnutrition through July 2026, according to the latest IPC report released on 23 September. This includes 421,000 children who are projected to face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 1.43 million children who are projected to face Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

On 10 November, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) declared a drought emergency across the country. Reports from various regions indicate severe water and food shortages. The FGS, through the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) has, formed a technical committee to address the growing drought challenges nationwide. All relevant government institutions have been instructed to respond swiftly to rapidly growing needs and intensify relief efforts to address the impact of the widespread drought conditions.

Jubaland State, in collaboration with the Saudi King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and a national partner, distributed food assistance to 1,000 displaced families in Ceel Waaq district, Gedo region. The district is currently facing worsening drought conditions, including pasture degradation, depletion of water sources, and rising water prices. In Kismayo, an international partner is constructing two water dams in Qandal and Fuma areas to improve water availability and strengthen community resilience for approximately 1,600 households.

In Gaalkacyo and Galdogob districts, Mudug region, 2,700 drought-affected people have been registered for unconditional cash assistance in six villages for three months starting in December. An international partner will support 2,100 people in five villages (Hermo, Waniiqle, Jigada, Labo Gardayle, and Affardood) in Gaalkacyo, providing US$80 per family monthly. Another partner will provide 600 newly displaced people in Isqaamus village, Galdogob, with $100 per family monthly.

Puntland, authorities have established an inter-ministerial committee on drought response. Humanitarian partners are conducting monitoring missions to affected areas to assess the negative impact and coping strategies of communities.

CLUSTER NEEDS, RESPONSE AND GAPS

Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM)

Needs:

• Influx of families affected by drought conditions moving into Banadir and Baidoa displacement sites where services and resources are already overstretched and limited.

Response:

• Around 15,500 new arrivals affected by drought conditions have been registered by CCCM partners. Most of the affected families are heading to Baidoa, Khada and Daynille.

• CCCM partners are conducting local drought response planning with local authorities including projections of arrivals to advocate for services.

Gaps and constraints:

• Low response capacity from service providers who are receiving referrals for supporting families affected by drought conditions.

Education

Response:

• The Education Cluster supported the development of drought assessment tools, which will be deployed in Galmudug and Puntland. These tools will provide critical data on the impact of drought on education and help identify priority needs and gaps for targeted interventions.

• Through coordinated efforts, Education Cluster partners provided emergency education services to 18,141 children in drought-affected districts, with 34 per cent being girls, ensuring continued learning opportunities.

Food Security Cluster (FSC) Cluster

Response:

• The Food Security Cluster (FSC) partners, through their regular monthly humanitarian food and cash assistance response (cash and in-kind), reached 484,152 people across the following drought affected districts: Afmadow, Kismayo, Baardheere, Belet Xaawo, Doolow, Garbahaarey, Baydhaba, Qansax Dheere, Diinsoor, Xudur, Bulo Burto, Cabudwaaq, Gaalkacyo, Garowe, Laas Caanood, Bandarbeyla, Iskushuban, Bossaso, Laasqoray, Ceerigaabo, Ceel Afweyn, Berbera, Baki, Lughaye, Zeylac and Hargeisa.

Gaps and Constraints:

• Severe funding cuts in 2025 have forced FSC Cluster partners to reduce transfer values, reduce duration of assistance, and cut caseloads by 70 per cent, leaving over 600,000 vulnerable people—mainly in IPC Phase 4 areas—without critical food assistance.

• Emergency agriculture and livestock assistance to over 600,000 people living in rural and underserved areas have also been impacted further by constraining local food production.

Health Cluster

Needs:

• Mobilise funds to support functionality of health facilities and outreach activities to provide essential services including maternal and child health to the people who cannot access the already limited health facilities.

• Community-based mental health interventions to address the psychological impact of prolonged drought and displacement.

Constraints and gaps:

• Many health facilities are either non-functional or understaffed, making it difficult for communities to access necessary medical services. In addition to shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies.

• Support mental health needs that result from trauma, loss of livelihood, and food insecurity, with inadequate mental health support services available.

• Community health awareness programmes to promote health-seeking behaviors.

Nutrition Cluster

Needs:

• Urgent scale up of blanket supplementary feeding programmes and management of moderate acute malnutrition

• Increased nutrition surveillance through mass Measuring Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screening/assessments.

• Activation of integrated coordination mechanisms at district level to address and respond to the drought timely to prevent further deterioration of nutrition status of young children.

• Funding to scale up timely nutrition life-saving treatments across Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug.

Response:

• Ongoing management of SAM, MAM and pregnant and lactating women cases across all the districts.

• Funding support from SHF for four districts (Bossaso, Laasqoray, Hargeisa and Zeylac) is supporting rural drought-affected communities. A total of 12,664 SAM, 44,861 MAM and 13,558 pregnant and lactating women reached in Puntland, Somaliland and Galmudug (September to October)

Protection

Needs:

• Displacement and erosion of traditional community protection mechanisms is disproportionately exposing vulnerable groups, including marginalised and minority groups, and persons with disabilities to protection risks including discrimination and stigmatisation, exclusion, family separation during movement, child, early or forced marriage as a coping mechanism, exposure to gender-based violence, forced evictions especially in urban centers hosting large displaced populations and heightened psychosocial distress linked to prolonged drought, loss of livelihoods and movement in search of water, food and protection.

Response:

• Protection Cluster with funding from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) plans to assist the most vulnerable communities in under-served and hard-to-reach areas of Laasqoray to address the impact of dry conditions and mitigate displacement. The intervention will target 1,000 individuals with specialised and comprehensive services through mobile and static protection desks, including individual protection assistance, psychosocial support services, protection case management and community-led protection initiatives and community self-protection structures established to urgently identify marginalized and minority individuals, and persons with disabilities.

• Protection Cluster and UNHCR – led Protection and Solutions Monitoring Network (PSMN) are conducting protection monitoring and displacement tracking, identifying protection risks associated with the drought including family separation during movement, child, early or forced marriage as a coping mechanism, exposure to gender-based violence, and heightened psychosocial distress linked to prolonged drought, loss of livelihoods and movement in search water, food and protection.

Gaps and constraints:

• Limited protection response in some drought-affected districts as over 30 protection desks and community centers ceased or reduced activity due to lack of resources, while over 60 frontline protection staffs were laid off across Somalia.

• The reduction in specialised protection services and operational capacity directly impacted affected communities’ access to critical services, including protection case management, individual protection assistance, legal aid, counselling, disability-inclusive support with mobility aids, and psychosocial support services.

• The absence of these specialised protection services has significantly heightened protection risks within communities, increasing their vulnerability to violence, abuse, and exploitation. Inaccessible and hard-to-reach areas are particularly vulnerable, and the lack of capacity by the protection partners limit timely monitoring of protection risks, violations and response.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster

Needs/Response:

• Plans are underway to construct and rehabilitate 150 flood-proof latrines, conduct hygiene promotion training for 40 people in Catchment Area (CA) 03, and rehabilitate 30 communal latrines in CA14 in Kahda IDP sites.

• A needs assessment, in collaboration with the authorities, is ongoing in Xudur and the surrounding districts to evaluate the extent of the impact of drought and take stock of working and non-functional water supply resources for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

• Reports from Rabdhure district indicates that water prices have tripled and large water pans are drying up. Similar situations are reported from several districts in Jubaland, South West, Hiran, Galmadug, Puntland and Somaliland.

Shelter Cluster

Needs:

• The ongoing drought has caused successive waves of displacement, forcing families into informal settlements where access to safe shelter and access to basic services are already seriously limited. Newly arrived households, women, and children face increased protection and health risks, as many are compelled to sleep outdoors or rely on unsafe makeshift structures.

• Despite escalating needs, severe funding shortages are limiting the Shelter Cluster’s ability to provide essential emergency shelter and NFIs. Immediate funding is vital to protect vulnerable groups, prevent further deterioration of living conditions, and avoid unnecessary protection risks.

Response:

• The cluster ability to respond remains severely limited due to restricted funding. To date, only 41,941 individuals have received partial assistance with NFIs, leaving most of those in need without sufficient support.

Constraints and Gaps:

• The ongoing drought-related displacement, worsened by the conflict, continues to increase humanitarian needs across affected areas. However, the Shelter Cluster faces a significant and growing funding gap that reduces operational capacity and limits partners’ presence, preparedness, and ability to provide timely shelter and NFI interventions. This shortfall has hindered efforts to expand and has paused emergency shelter responses in newly affected regions.

• Without immediate and sustained funding, the Cluster will be unable to address critical gaps in lifesaving assistance, heightening exposure to protection risks and undermining a fair, safe, and dignified response for displaced and vulnerable households.

Cash Working Group/Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA)

Needs:

• Due to funding cuts and lack of MPCA prioritization, 826,000 individuals could not be assisted with multipurpose cash assistance. The lack of assistance has severely limited their access to essential services, including food security, WASH, shelter, education, protection services, healthcare, transportation, and their ability to manage or clear existing debt.

Response:

• As of October, only 274,000 people have received support through multipurpose cash assistance, helping households cover essential basic needs such as food, WASH, shelter, protection, education, rent, healthcare, transportation, and other urgent expenses. This assistance has played a critical role in strengthening household resilience, reducing negative coping strategies, and enabling families to make their own decisions based on their most pressing priorities.

Gaps and constraints:

• Due to significant funding shortfalls, MPCA has been deprioritized within the humanitarian response in Somalia, resulting in reduced coverage and limited scalability. Despite strong evidence that MPCA is a cost-effective, choice-based and dignified way to enable households to meet urgent needs, shrinking resources have shifted focus toward isolated sector-based interventions. This gap deprives vulnerable families of a dignified option to address their pressing humanitarian needs.

• Without sustained and predictable funding, MPCA cannot fulfill its intended role as an integrated, cross-sector response that supports households holistically, reduces harmful coping mechanisms, and strengthens resilience during prolonged crises.

FUNDING

23.7% funding received for the 2025 HNRP

The drought conditions are escalating in Somalia at a time when severe funding cuts have forced humanitarian partners to scale back or even close critical programmes. As of 27 November, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only 23.7 per cent funded with only US$337.3 million received against a request of $1.42 billion..