The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that its life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Somalia could grind to a halt within weeks unless urgent new funding is secured.

The United Nations agency says its resources are rapidly running out and may be fully depleted without immediate replenishment, threatening critical support to millions facing acute hunger.

The warning comes after Somalia declared a national drought emergency, following severe water shortages, widespread crop failures, livestock losses, and mass displacement. Conditions are drawing comparisons to the 2022 crisis, when famine was narrowly avoided due to large-scale international intervention.

“The situation is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Families have lost everything, and many are already being pushed to the brink. Without immediate emergency food support, conditions will worsen quickly,” said Ross Smith, WFP’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “We are at the cusp of a decisive moment; without urgent action, we may be unable to reach the most vulnerable in time, most of them women and children.”

Somalia is grappling with one of its most complex hunger emergencies in recent years, driven by two consecutive failed rainy seasons, ongoing conflict and a sharp decline in humanitarian funding. An estimated 4.4 million people, roughly a quarter of the population, are facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, including nearly one million experiencing severe hunger.

Severe funding shortfalls have already forced the WFP to scale back operations. The number of people receiving emergency food assistance has dropped from 2.2 million in early 2025 to just over 600,000. 

The agency says it urgently needs $95 million to sustain assistance to the most food-insecure communities between March and August 2026. Without immediate funding, WFP warns it will be forced to suspend humanitarian operations in Somalia as early as April.