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MOGADISHU –– The Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) has announced that the nation has entered the fourth stage of drought severity, warning of a humanitarian emergency that requires an urgent national response, as reported by the Somali National News Agency (SONNA).
Chairman Mohamud Maollim Abdulle revealed escalating challenges facing relief operations due to acute water and food shortages, coinciding with a significant decline in international humanitarian support for this climate crisis.
The Chairman noted, in remarks carried by SONNA, that several traditional donors have suspended their activities, creating a dangerous funding vacuum at a time when humanitarian needs are most acute across affected regions.
The agency issued a national directive for self-reliance, urging the federal government, the Somali public, and the private sector to mobilize domestic resources to save lives and protect livestock from imminent loss.
Field assessments indicate that consecutive failed rainy seasons have led to dried-up wells and crop failures, pushing the drought classification to Phase 4—a pre-famine level that poses an extreme risk to livelihood stability.
Reports from the Somali National News Agency warned that the continued lack of relief interventions in the coming days will exponentially increase the risk of mass fatalities among displaced and vulnerable rural populations.
Statistical data shows that approximately five million people are currently facing acute food insecurity, with the crisis concentrated in Gedo, Hiiraan, Bay, Bakool, Mudug, Galgaduud, Sanaag, and Awdal, as well as the Jubba regions.
Current conditions are described as the harshest in recent history, with northern and southern territories witnessing rapid environmental degradation directly impacting the basic livelihoods of thousands of families.
SoDMA emphasized that the window of opportunity to save lives is narrowing, stressing the absolute priority of delivering water and fodder to communities facing the risk of total devastation.
The Chairman concluded by reaffirming that national solidarity is the only guarantee to overcome this ordeal amid waning international attention, praising local efforts that have already begun assisting those affected.
Phase 4 of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an international indicator that a humanitarian crisis has reached an emergency level, marked by high rates of acute malnutrition and mortality. Through SoDMA, Somalia seeks to build an independent national response system that reduces dependence on volatile external aid and ensures the sustainability of vital resources during climate shocks.
