Somalia faces worsening humanitarian crisis as aid funding gaps grow, UN says

More than four million people in Somalia will need humanitarian assistance in 2026 as climate shocks, conflict and chronic poverty deepen the country’s long-running crisis, the United Nations said in its latest humanitarian appeal.

In its Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for 2026, the UN said 4.8 million Somalis are expected to require life-saving aid this year, warning that funding shortfalls risk leaving millions without food, healthcare and protection.

“Humanitarian needs in Somalia are expected to worsen in 2026,” the report said, citing the combined impact of drought, floods, armed violence and weak public services.

The UN and its partners are seeking $ 852M million to assist 4.8 million of the most vulnerable people, prioritising emergency food aid, nutrition, water and sanitation services. But donors have increasingly scaled back support, raising fears that the response will fall far short of needs.

Funding constraints continue to undermine the scale and quality of the humanitarian response, the report said, noting that recent appeals have been consistently underfunded “as major donors suspended development services, disrupting health, education, and WASH sectors”.

Somalia has endured decades of instability, with the Islamist group Al Shabaab waging an insurgency against the government, while climate change has intensified cycles of drought and flooding. The HNRP said extreme weather events are expected to become more frequent and severe.

Food insecurity remains one of the most pressing challenges. According to the report, millions of people are expected to face crisis or emergency levels of hunger, particularly in rural communities and displacement camps. An estimated 4.4 million people are projected to experience acute food insecurity. Vulnerable households are struggling to cope with rising prices and the loss of livelihoods, the report noted.

Children are among the hardest hit by the crisis. According to the HNRP, hundreds of thousands of children face a high risk of acute malnutrition, while access to education and health services remains severely limited. “1.85 million children under five at risk of acute malnutrition,” the reported said.

The UN urged donors to provide early and flexible funding, arguing that timely support could prevent further deterioration and reduce long-term costs.

The report warned that without immediate financial support, critical aid programs face severe cutbacks. “Without urgent funding, reductions in food, health, and WASH assistance will deepen vulnerabilities,” the report noted, adding “preventable mortality, morbidity, and further displacement will prevail.”