Overview
Somalia’s humanitarian crisis is among the world’s most complex, driven by cycles of internal conflict and climate shocks, that drive displacement and undermine development efforts. The cumulative effect of both violence and climate shocks continues to drive displacement, destroy livelihoods, leaving millions of people in urgent need of assistance.
Failure of rains in 2025 have caused severe drought conditions, which continue to displace people across the country. Authorities estimate that more than 4.6 million people – nearly one in four people in Somalia – have been affected by the drought. The worst-affected areas include the central regions of Galgaduud and Mudug.
According to authorities and humanitarian partners, nearly half a million people have now abandoned their homes since September of last year. Families are on the move in search of water, pasture for their livestock and food.
This is putting additional pressure on already overcrowded displacement sites.
Somalia’s fragile health system is under immense strain as poor access to safe water and drought-driven displacement have triggered an upsurge of vaccine-preventable diseases, AWD/cholera and other disease outbreaks, affecting the country’s high number of ‘zero-dose’ children.
The health system’s capacity to respond is severely hindered by chronic underfunding and logistical disruptions, leaving critical gaps in facility-based care. The combined impact of restricted access to healthcare and the rising disease burden poses an immediate threat to life, particularly for malnourished children and pregnant women in the most severely affected inter-sectoral priority areas.
Conflict remains a critical driver of humanitarian needs in Somalia, with inter-clan fighting, retaliatory attacks, and military offensives. It also affects the delivery of aid.
Severe aid cuts can lead to pipeline disruptions in food and nutrition supplies such as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food, as well as interruptions in cash assistance programmes with dire consequences.
Source: OHCHR, 2026
