KISMAYO — Save the Children warned that drought and rising costs are deepening a hunger crisis among displaced families sheltering in a camp near Kismayo, Somalia, where people have traveled from across Jubbaland in search of assistance. An estimated 6.5 million people in Somalia are forced to skip meals and go hungry every day.

One third of the country's population faces severe food insecurity classified as IPC Phase 3 or above, and more than 2 million people are in emergency food insecurity classified as IPC Phase 4. An estimated 1.8 million children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, with some households going without food altogether, leaving them more vulnerable to illnesses such as diarrhoea, measles, and other infections.

Somalia has had three consecutive failed rainy seasons that have dried out rivers, wells, and pasturelands. "We're seeing multiple rainy seasons that have failed across the country. Even when rain arrives, it is often too uneven and too late to restore livelihoods that have already collapsed," said Francesca Sangiorgi, humanitarian director at Save the Children.

More than 3.8 million Somalis are currently displaced, representing 22 percent of the population. Barwaqo Aden, a displaced resident of Jamame in Lower Juba, has an eight-month-old daughter who is in a local hospital with severe malnutrition due to lack of resources. Hodhan Mohamed, another displaced resident, walked for days and crossed the River Juba by boat before reaching a crowded settlement. According to Doctors Without Borders, transport costs have risen by up to 50 percent in parts of the country, and more than 200 health and nutrition facilities have closed since early 2025 due to sharp funding cuts.

The United Nations' response plan for Somalia is funded at 20 percent of what is required, with $1.42 billion needed but only $288 million received. The humanitarian response has been cut by 75 percent, and the number of people targeted for assistance was reduced from 6 million to 1.3 million.

Tom Fletcher, UN humanitarian chief, said global economic pressures had constricted supply chains. "These [constraints] will damage our humanitarian supply chains, reduce the humanitarian supplies we can get to people who need them, but they'll also drive up energy costs and food costs across the region, this really is a perfect storm of factors right now, and I'm seriously worried," he said.