In Somalia, 4.4 million people risk starvation by June: Report February 28, 2025
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Feb 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 28
By AFP - Agence France Presse
In Somalia, 4.4 million people risk starvation by June: Report
Some 4.4 million people will be at risk of starvation in Somalia by June, mainly due to drought, a UN-backed report said on Wednesday.
The figure, which represents an increase of one million people from the present, comes from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed assessment.
“We are warning about the deteriorating food security situation in the country,” said the spokesman for the UN secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric.
Below-average rainfall, combined with high food prices, conflict, and food insecurity will lead to the figure of 4.4 million, which represents 23% of the country's population, according to the report.
The report said the figure would be reached between April and June.
The Horn of Africa nation is one of the poorest in the world, enduring decades of civil war, a bloody Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgency, and frequent weather disasters.
The IPC report also estimated that around 1.7 million children under the age of five will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025 (an increase of 4% since 2024), including 466,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
“Worsening drought, erratic rains, and ongoing conflict are eroding livelihoods, pushing families further into crisis,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's representative in Somalia.
The UN agency is responding to the situation by “scaling up its support for increased agricultural production, promoting climate-smart solutions, and strengthening resilient agri-food systems,” he said.
According to the UN, almost six million Somalis will need humanitarian assistance by 2025.
But due to chronic underfunding, an appeal launched at the end of January calls for $1.43 billion to support just 4.6 million of the most vulnerable.
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