The United Nations (UN) has warned that Somalia is on the verge of famine, citing the country’s worst drought in at least four decades. Nearly half of the population is currently experiencing severe food insecurity. Adam Abdelmoula, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for the country, has said that unless the international community acts quickly, more people may perish.The country was reportedly on the brink of widespread hunger and mass starvation that could kill hundreds of thousands of people. Additionally, three million heads of livestock—a vital source of income in Somalia—have died due to drought. Four consecutive rainy seasons have failed, resulting in a severe drought that has displaced more than 800,000 people, as estimated by the UN.

Drought in 2011 caused a famine that killed a quarter of a million people. As of April 2022, nearly 700,000 people have been displaced from their houses in search of food and water for themselves and their animals, and the number continues to rise. Food and water prices are soaring, and villages are being abandoned as people migrate closer to urban centers in search of respite. The drought is hurting not only Somalia but the Horn of Africa as a whole, as well as many other countries in Africa. At least a quarter of Africans are experiencing food insecurity, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Mr. Abdelmoula stated that the international community’s response has been insufficient thus far. Only 18 percent of the UN’s humanitarian response plan is funded.