Oxfam Warns Somalia Edging Closer To Hunger Crisis as Food Insecurity Worsens

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Aid agency Oxfam has warned that Somalia is moving “dangerously close to catastrophe” after new food security data showed more than six million people across the country are facing acute hunger.

Reacting to findings released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Oxfam said nearly one in every three Somalis is struggling to access food, with almost 1.9 million people facing emergency levels of hunger.

The organization said worsening drought conditions, rising food prices and funding shortages were pushing vulnerable communities closer to famine-like conditions, particularly in parts of Bay region including Burhakaba district.

“Three poor rainy seasons have pushed communities in the country at risk of famine,” Oxfam’s Somalia humanitarian lead Sameer Kariya said in a statement.

The latest IPC assessment warned that failed or below-average Gu rains between April and June could deepen food insecurity and acute malnutrition in several regions already affected by drought and displacement.

According to Oxfam, dried-up water sources, livestock losses and crop failures are forcing families to leave their homes in search of water and pasture, while women and children are among the hardest hit.

The agency also linked rising living costs in Somalia to ongoing instability in the Middle East, saying food prices had increased by 30% and fuel prices by 50% due to disruptions affecting regional trade and supply routes.

For Somalia, the worsening humanitarian situation presents a major challenge as the country simultaneously battles insecurity, climate shocks and economic pressures while trying to recover from decades of conflict.

Aid agencies have increasingly warned that funding cuts are undermining humanitarian operations at a time when needs are rising sharply across drought-affected communities.

The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan estimates that 4.8 million people in Somalia require humanitarian assistance, although only 2.4 million are currently targeted under the existing response framework because of limited funding.

“The world must not wait for famine to be declared before acting,” Oxfam said, warning that delays in aid delivery could cost lives if conditions continue to deteriorate.