Soaring fuel prices push Somalia’s three-wheeler drivers to the brink

Saturday April 4, 2026

Fuel shortages and soaring prices have turned a familiar Mogadishu street scene into a snapshot of economic strain: three-wheelers sitting idle by the roadside, drivers stranded, and livelihoods slipping out of reach. On April 2, 2026, a staff member refueled a three-wheeler at a petrol station in Somalia’s capital as the ripple effects of war in the Middle East continued to push fuel costs sharply higher across the country.(Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

Abdulkadir Sharif eased his tuk-tuk to the side of the road and looked out over the traffic, where two other three-wheelers stood motionless nearby after running dry. Their drivers leaned on the frames, waiting for a solution that was not coming anytime soon.

“I see two to three tuk-tuks every day that have run out of fuel and are parked along the roadside. Drivers tell me that due to the lack of fuel, they cannot continue their journeys,” Sharif said.

Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, the conflict has pushed up international oil prices. As a result, fuel prices across Somalia have more than doubled.

The price shock has been especially severe in Mogadishu. According to Save the Children, an international aid organization, fuel prices in the capital jumped by 150 percent in March, climbing from 0.6 to 1.5 U.S. dollars per liter. For thousands of young men who depend on tuk-tuks for income, the increase has hit hard.

With youth unemployment at around 34 percent, according to World Bank estimates, the three-wheeler business has long served as one of the few reliable ways for young Somalis to earn a living in the capital.

Many drivers do not own their vehicles. They rent tuk-tuks from owners for about 15 dollars a day and keep whatever is left after paying fuel costs. That arrangement, already tight, is now collapsing under the weight of higher prices.

Ahmed Mohamud, a driver who rents his tuk-tuk, said the cost of fuel has risen while his earnings have fallen sharply.

“I used to earn 15 to 20 dollars after paying fuel and rental fees, but now I make only seven to 10 dollars. I also used to spend about eight dollars on fuel for the whole day, but now it has doubled to 16 dollars for fuel alone,” Mohamud said. “If this continues, I don’t think I will be able to carry on.”

His experience is increasingly common. Sharif said some of the drivers he knows have already abandoned the trade.

“Some of my friends who used to drive rented tuk-tuks have now quit. Fewer people are using our services, and this has affected us, but we have no choice but to be patient,” he said.

The strain is spreading beyond the drivers themselves. Mogadishu residents who once depended on tuk-tuks for daily travel say fares have risen beyond what many can afford.

“I have stopped using tuk-tuks because they have become too expensive. A trip that used to cost one dollar now costs two to three dollars, and this is because of the war in the Middle East,” said Hassan Mohamed, a Mogadishu resident and former regular user.

Fuel sellers have also found themselves on the front line of the anger, caught between unhappy drivers and a market they cannot control.

“Drivers complain about the prices all the time, but we do not control them. They depend on market changes,” said Malin Hassan, a fuel dealer in Mogadishu.

On March 11, the frustration spilled into the streets when hundreds of tuk-tuk drivers blocked Maka Al-Mukarama Road, one of Mogadishu’s main thoroughfares and the route to the presidential palace, to demand government action.

The protest led to the arrest of Saadia Moalim Ali, a female driver and university graduate who had turned to tuk-tuk driving after failing to find formal work. Her detention drew national attention and highlighted the desperation facing Somalia’s young transport workers.

Somalia imports most of its food, and about 6.5 million people, nearly a third of the population, are facing acute food insecurity amid drought and economic pressure, according to the United Nations. Rising transport costs are now feeding into food prices, making basic goods even less accessible for families already under strain.

For young Somalis like Mohamud, the tuk-tuk has represented more than a job; it has been a chance to prove that steady work could still put food on the table. But with fuel costs climbing and passenger demand falling, that promise is growing harder to keep.

A staff refuels a three-wheeler at a petrol station in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, April 2, 2026. Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, the conflict has pushed up international oil prices. As a result, fuel prices across Somalia have more than doubled.(Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

Three-wheeler drivers queue for fuel at a petrol station in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, April 2, 2026. Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, the conflict has pushed up international oil prices. As a result, fuel prices across Somalia have more than doubled.(Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)

Three-wheeler drivers queue for fuel at a petrol station in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, April 2, 2026. Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, the conflict has pushed up international oil prices. As a result, fuel prices across Somalia have more than doubled.(Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua)