Mogadishu (AX) — The European Union on Thursday announced €63 million in new humanitarian funding for Somalia as 6.5 million people face severe hunger driven by drought, conflict and shrinking global aid, according to new food security projections.
The EU said the money will be directed to the most vulnerable communities affected by ongoing insecurity, displacement, worsening drought and soaring food prices. Assistance will be channeled through EU humanitarian partners to speed delivery and ensure aid reaches areas with the greatest needs.
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Priorities include life-saving services and emergency support aimed at stabilizing households under acute stress:
- Health and nutrition, including treatment for severe acute malnutrition
- Emergency cash transfers to help families meet basic needs
- Water, sanitation and hygiene programs
- Protection services for those at heightened risk
- Emergency education for children displaced or cut off from school
The announcement follows a sharp deterioration in Somalia’s food security outlook. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis projects that an estimated 6.5 million people — roughly one in three Somalis — could face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse by the end of March. The IPC also estimates that 1.84 million children under age 5 are expected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026, including nearly 500,000 who will be severely malnourished.
Somali authorities and United Nations agencies say the crisis is being driven by a combination of prolonged water shortages, ongoing conflict and historically low levels of humanitarian funding linked to global aid cuts. Those trends have eroded families’ coping capacity and left many communities without the resources to withstand further shocks.
Below-average rainfall has triggered the latest drought, causing widespread crop failures and livestock losses while pushing food prices higher. Water shortages are intensifying across southern and central regions and are not expected to substantially improve even if upcoming rains are average, assessments show.
From July to December, roughly 278,000 people were displaced by drought and conflict, according to U.N. estimates, disrupting agricultural production, access to markets and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Aid groups warn that the compounding impacts are making it harder for communities to rebuild assets or return home.
Even if seasonal rains perform at average levels in the months ahead, officials warn that about 5.5 million people are expected to remain in crisis or worse later in 2026, underscoring the depth of the shock and the time needed for recovery.
The EU said it is participating in a Global Leadership Roundtable to help coordinate the emergency response following Somalia’s activation of its Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plan. The roundtable aims to align donor commitments with operational priorities so that funding and supplies reach front-line programs without delay.
With the new allocation, the EU has provided more than €750 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia since 2017. The bloc said that, despite funding shortfalls across global humanitarian operations, it remains committed to supporting emergency relief in Somalia, where needs continue to outpace available resources.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
Friday February 27, 2026
The European Union’s newly appointed Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia, Francesca Di Mauro, seated with H.E. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud after presenting her credentials at Villa Somalia, the presidential palace in Mogadishu.
