MOGADISHU, Oct. 7 — Sustained humanitarian assistance is needed to prevent the deterioration of food security and nutrition across Somalia, the United Nations relief agency said on Monday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its monthly update that 5.2 million people will be targeted with humanitarian assistance in 2024. An estimated 3.6 million people in Somalia are currently experiencing crisis levels of hunger, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released on Sept. 23 by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit. “This number is expected to rise to 4.4 million between October and December when below-average rains are anticipated,” the OCHA said. According to the OCHA, the IPC findings reflect global weather forecasts, which indicate an 80 percent probability of La Nina conditions, which could lead to drought in Somalia. The forecasts indicate the likelihood of a below-normal dry season and above-normal temperatures, which could cause severe soil moisture loss, poor crop and fodder productivity, and worsen food insecurity in vulnerable communities. Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya allocated 3 million U.S. dollars from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund for urgent response to conflict-induced displacement in Somalia, the UN agency said. “The funding will support the UN and partners to address immediate needs, particularly food security, protection, and shelter for around 50,000 displaced people in conflict-affected areas of Galmudug and Jubaland states.” According to the UN, about 1.6 million children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition until July 2025, including 403,000 who are likely to suffer from severe malnutrition. The OCHA warned that acute malnutrition is expected to worsen from October to December, a period usually characterized by a spike in disease outbreaks and reduced food access.
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