Somalia Monthly Humanitarian Update, February 2025

This report is produced by OCHA Somalia in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It provides information on the humanitarian situation across Somalia in February 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

• One million more Somalis will face crisis levels of food insecurity in the coming months due to worsening drought conditions, conflict and high food prices.

• An estimated 3.4 million people are already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger. About 1.7 million children are expected to suffer acute malnutrition this year, of whom 460,000 are expected to suffer severe malnutrition.

• Partners are developing a drought preparedness response plan to mitigate the evolving situation. Authorities are appealing for urgent interventions to mitigate the crisis.

• OCHA is conducting environment and climate awareness and capacity-building sessions targeting staff and Clusters and has compiled indicators to guide programming in 2025 and beyond.

• A rehabilitated institute is providing vital technical and vocational training to over 500 students, including displaced people, in Burao, Somaliland.

• How beekeeping has improved the livelihoods of over 300 families in Buulo Edow village, Berdale district, Bay region.

New analysis points to worsening food insecurity in Somalia

Food security in Somalia is deteriorating and one million more people will face crisis levels of food insecurity in the coming months due to worsening drought conditions, conflict and high food prices, according to new Integrated Phase Food Security Classification (IPC) findings released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on 24 February. Some 3.4 million people are already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger, but this number is expected to rise to 4.4 million – nearly a quarter of the population – between April and June when below-average rains are forecast. The people currently experiencing acute food insecurity represent a 15 per cent reduction compared to the same period last year, when approximately 4 million people were classified in crisis or worse food insecurity. The IPC analysis attributes this to relatively better rainfall over the past two seasons with a positive impact on livelihoods and continued humanitarian assistance, albeit at a reduced level. In addition, 1.7 million children under the age of 5 are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year and will need urgent treatment. More than 460,000 of these children are expected to suffer from severe malnutrition. Most of the acutely malnourished children are concentrated in southern Somalia. Compared to the same season last year, the current estimate represents a 4 per cent increase in Global Acute Malnutrition and a 9 per cent increase in Severe Acute Malnutrition.

According to the analysis, the poor rains during October to December 2024 significantly reduced crop production in agropastoral and riverine areas, leading to accelerated pasture and water depletion in pastoral regions. The most affected people are those with low agricultural production that have exhausted their food stocks, internally displaced people (IDPs) and poor pastoralists. The report recommends the provision of urgent humanitarian food assistance aimed at saving lives, reducing food consumption deficits and protecting livelihoods.

On 26 February, the Federal Government of Somalia and UN agencies jointly warned that without swift funding for humanitarian action, the country – which in 2022 was pushed to the brink of famine by severe drought – could once again face deepening hunger. The analysis comes at a time when partners are desperately seeking additional funding to meet rising needs due to prolonged drought conditions. As of 28 February, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), which seeks US$1.42 billion to provide lifesaving assistance to 4.6 million Somalis, is only 12.4 per cent funded. Funding shortages will compel humanitarian partners to scale down their response, prioritizing the most vulnerable populations in areas with the greatest need.