Somalia receives 25 tons of Russian food aid amid famine risk
“This is not the first time that Russia has provided such aid to Somalia. The government and people of Russia have shown their friendship and support for the Somali people,” the SoDMA chairman said.
Friday May 15, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia on Friday received 25 tons of food aid from Russia, a timely delivery as conflict, drought and deepening food insecurity continue to drive humanitarian needs across the country.
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The handover took place in Mogadishu during a ceremony attended by Information Minister Abdifatah Qasim Mohamud, Somali Disaster Management Agency Chairman Mohamud Moalin Abdulle and Russia’s ambassador to Somalia and Djibouti.
Mohamud said the support arrived at a crucial moment for families and communities hit by emergencies in different parts of the country.
“This is not the first time that Russia has provided such aid to Somalia. The government and people of Russia have shown their friendship and support for the Somali people,” the SoDMA chairman said.
He expressed gratitude to the Russian government, the Russian Embassy and the agencies that helped deliver the shipment, noting that the food would go toward communities enduring severe humanitarian conditions.
The aid comes as food-security monitors warn that parts of southern Somalia could face famine after failed rains, violence, displacement and shrinking humanitarian funding pushed the crisis deeper. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said Burhakaba district in Bay region has reached IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 5, described as “extremely critical,” and could face famine under a plausible worst-case scenario.
Somalia remains among the world’s most food-insecure countries, where recurring drought, poverty and insecurity have continued to erode households’ capacity to cope and recover. The country last suffered famine in 2011, when about 250,000 people died, and narrowly avoided a repeat in 2017 and 2022.
Humanitarian agencies say cuts in global aid and rising costs tied to international conflicts are making it harder to respond to food shortages. According to the latest IPC update, nearly 1.88 million children in Somalia will need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026.
The shipment also reflects the broader diplomatic and humanitarian ties between Somalia and Russia, which have grown in recent years. Somali officials said Moscow delivered relief assistance in 2023 and has continued to signal support for Somalia through both humanitarian and diplomatic channels.
Somali authorities said they would press ahead with efforts to reinforce emergency relief operations and reach people affected by drought, conflict and displacement.
