Somalia is in the grip of its worst drought in living memory, with four consecutive failed rainy seasons since 2020 affecting 4.1 million people and displacing more than one million. Forecasts suggest the October‑December deyr rains will also underperform, pushing the country toward an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Combined with conflict, global food price spikes, and the lingering effects of COVID‑19, the crisis is devastating rural livelihoods. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has made drought response a top priority, appointing Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame as Special Envoy to coordinate relief efforts and raise global awareness. His advocacy has secured $1.5 billion in aid pledges, but this is less than half of the $3.9 billion the UN says is needed. Meanwhile, over seven million Somalis face acute food insecurity, with famine expected in 17 districts without urgent intervention. Women and children make up over 80% of those displaced, many living in overcrowded, unsanitary IDP camps. Malnutrition and disease are rising sharply. The government has formed a new National Disaster Management Committee to coordinate aid delivery, but donor fatigue and logistical challenges threaten progress.
As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, its ripple effects are hitting Somalia hard. In Mogadishu’s tea kiosks, people follow the conflict closely via BBC Somali, but few fully grasp how this distant war is deepening the country’s domestic crises. Since Russia’s invasion on February 24, fuel prices in Somalia have quadrupled, rising from $0.30–0.45 to $1.20–1.35 per litre. The hike is crippling tuktuk drivers, raising food transport costs, and prompting electricity companies to increase prices. These price shocks are happening alongside Somalia’s worst drought in decades. With rivers running dry and fuel-dependent water trucks struggling to operate, rural areas face worsening water shortages. Farmers who rely on diesel-powered irrigation may halt food production, adding to food insecurity. Russia and Ukraine are major global suppliers of wheat and fertilizers, and disruptions have already affected Somalia’s supply chain. Somalia imports wheat via Egypt, which gets 85% of its wheat from the two warring nations.