Charities launch million-dollar response plan for crisis-stricken Somalia

The United Nations, in partnership with humanitarian partners, has launched a $852 million humanitarian response and assistance plan for Somalia, warning that severe funding shortfalls are forcing aid agencies to scale back operations even as drought, conflict and displacement continue to drive urgent needs across the country.

Stéphane Dujarric, the UN Secretary-General's official spokesperson, has revealed that the funding appeal for 2026 is 40% lower than in 2025 and is expected to reach 2.4 million people. He stressed in an official statement, however, that the reduction “is driven by limited resources, not by a decrease in humanitarian needs.”

“Less than half of those in need of humanitarian assistance will be able to receive it under the 2026 plan,” Dujarric said.

The warning comes after a difficult year for aid operations. In 2025, Somalia’s humanitarian plan was funded at just 27%, with $397 million provided out of the $1.4 billion requested. “This forced humanitarian organizations to drastically scale back, and in some cases suspend, the delivery of life-saving assistance to people,” Dujarric noted.

UN officials on the ground say the impact of funding cuts is already visible.

“The humanitarian community in Somalia stands at a critical crossroads as unprecedented funding reductions have significantly constrained the collective capacity to deliver essential and life-saving assistance,” said George Conway, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, as cited by ReliefWeb. “In parts of the country, humanitarian presence has diminished at a time when needs remain high, increasing the risk of loss of lives.”

Somalia continues to face an intensifying humanitarian crisis driven by prolonged drought, armed conflict and recurrent disease outbreaks. In 2026, an estimated 4.8 million people are expected to need humanitarian assistance. While this represents a 20% reduction compared to 2025, UN agencies stress that the figure reflects stricter needs definitions rather than improved conditions. Officials say the crisis can only be sustainably addressed through stronger humanitarian–development–peace approaches aligned with national priorities.

“This plan is launched at a critical moment, as Somalia faces a severe and escalating drought following consecutive failed rainy seasons,” said Mohamud Moallim, Commissioner of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA). “Water sources are depleted, rangelands are degraded, livelihoods have been eroded, and millions of people are being pushed into acute food insecurity and displacement. Combined with ongoing conflict and recurrent climate shocks, the scale of this crisis demands an immediate, coordinated, and life-saving response.”

Given limited funding, the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) will prioritise 1.6 million people living in the most severe conditions across 21 high-risk districts. The focus will be on life-saving assistance delivered through principled, inclusive and accountable humanitarian action, including essential services, protection and cross-cutting support to help families meet urgent needs as quickly as possible.

The humanitarian emergency is also deeply intertwined with Somalia’s long-running security crisis. Decades of drought and famine have both contributed to, and been exacerbated by, the insurgency led by al-Shabaab, one of al-Qaeda’s strongest affiliates, as highlighted by the Council on Foreign Relationsh. Five consecutive failed rainy seasons between 2021 and 2023 caused the worst drought on record, coinciding with a renewed government counteroffensive launched in August 2022 in some of the most drought-affected areas.

During this period, al-Shabaab has challenged government relief efforts, targeting food deliveries and water wells, while expanding taxation and confiscation of livestock in areas under its control. The combined impact of climate shocks, insecurity and economic collapse has internally displaced millions of Somalis and driven significant migration to neighbouring countries across East Africa.

Local authorities say more than 4.6 million people have already been affected by drought, roughly a quarter of Somalia’s population, and warn that the current dry season, which runs from January to March, is likely to further worsen conditions in the months ahead.

By Nazrin Sadigova