The UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Wednesday appealed to the UN to support “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.” Adam Abdelmoula urged Member States in Geneva to avoid the “real risk of complacency” and provide funding as a durable solution to support the country.

Nearly half of the population, 8.25 million, require lifesaving humanitarian and protection assistance in what UNICEF previously described as “one of the most long-standing emergencies in the world.” Repeated climate shocks have struck Somalia for the latest two decades meaning that the region has “teetered on the brink of famine” in recent months. Nearly 5 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity; this represents a rise from 2022. The failure of the harvest season and the inadequacy of imported food supplies has led to an unsustainable increase in food prices.

With severe water shortages across the country due to widespread drought, Somalis are at higher risk of cholera, with reported cases across 26 districts. Only 52 percent of the population has access to basic water supplies. Many existing camps do not have adequate sanitary conditions, heightening the risk of outbreaks and preventable medical conditions. The situation is predicted to remain critical.

These climate shocks have forced many Somalis from their homes. As a result, the number of internally displaced people has reached a record high of 3.8 million. Communities’ existing vulnerabilities have exacerbated this due to frequent conflict, primarily from the Islamist armed group Al-Shabab which controls some territory in the country, largely out of the reach of humanitarian assistance. It is reported that at least 660,000 people are in areas controlled by non-State armed actors.

According to a report from ACAPS, an independent information provider specialising in humanitarian needs analysis, since late 2020, the country has registered five consecutive below-average rainy seasons. The next rainy season is forecasted to continue this trend, which is insufficient to improve the food security outlook. Abdelmoula described Somalia as “truly bearing the brunt” of climate change in the “unpredictable cycles of drought and flooding.”