Climate Crisis and Humanitarian Challenges in Somalia
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“Families are being battered on every front — flood, hunger, and neglect,” observed Etienne Peterschmitt, Somalia’s representative for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This stark reality illustrates the multi-faceted struggles faced by households in Somalia today. With the remnants of what little they possessed receding like the floodwaters, a growing concern emerges: the international lifeline that has traditionally provided support to these communities is fraying.
The FAO highlights that Somalia is caught in a vicious cycle of climate extremes. Prolonged droughts are followed by intense, unpredictable rains, a pattern that’s wreaked havoc on food production across the nation. “These back-to-back shocks are pushing families deeper into crisis,” Peterschmitt further commented, emphasizing the urgent need for intervention and support.
Among the hardest-hit areas is Banadir, which has become a relentless flashpoint of suffering. Since January, over 45,000 internally displaced persons have faced forced evictions—more than half of Somalia’s total displacements—often without prior warning or alternative shelter. An aid worker in Mogadishu poignantly remarked, “People are being chased from their homes by landlords, then chased from their tents by rising water.” How do families, already on the brink of despair, continue to find hope in such relentless adversity?
The rains that bring relief to some pastoralists have bewilderingly turned into cataclysmic events for others. In Qardho, 11 schools suffered damage, disrupting the education of approximately 3,700 children—young minds who should be filled with hope and dreams yet find themselves ensnared in disruption. Communities in Afgooye faced overflowing rivers that flooded villages and contaminated wells, heightening the risk of cholera. In Balcad, crumbling roads cut off access to markets, further isolating these communities. Meanwhile, in Gaalkacyo, the tragic loss of over 1,750 livestock has bewilderingly dealt a severe blow to herders, many of whom were already walking a tightrope of survival.
Despite such urgent and cascading humanitarian needs, a haunting reality persists: the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan stands at a mere 11% funding. Partners have been compelled to reduce critical services, including support for gender-based violence, reintegration programs for child soldiers, and emergency shelter. A UNHCR official succinctly articulated the dire situation: “We’re seeing a retreat of aid just as the crisis peaks. You cannot build resilience on empty promises.” It begs the question: How can a community rebuild when the very support it relies upon is dwindling?
Still, hope flickers, illuminating the shadows cast by such overwhelming despair. In Adado, for instance, a pilot shelter program has remarkably provided 117 displaced families with climate-resilient homes. Accompanying these homes are title deeds, water access, and connections to healthcare and education services. Shariifo Osman Elmi, a mother of seven who endured losses amid conflicts in Harardheere, expressed a newfound sense of dignity: “We are no longer surviving. We are living.” Her words serve as a potent reminder of the resilience of the human spirit even in the darkest of times.
Meanwhile, the federal government has stepped up, forming an emergency task force in collaboration with regional authorities and SoDMA to streamline response efforts effectively. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre is actively delivering food and essential goods to over 3,600 families in nine districts. Moreover, initiatives aimed at distributing hygiene kits and cash transfers in flooded areas reflect a determination to address immediate needs amidst the chaos.
However, forecasts predict additional heavy rains in the Middle Shabelle, Galgaduud, and coastal Mudug regions, leaving aid groups bracing for the worst. With infrastructure and services already under immense strain, the concern arises: can this fragile situation withstand yet another wave of disasters?
Somalia’s history is long intertwined with cyclical climate shocks—droughts that starve, floods that drown, and displacement that perpetuates suffering. Yet, this year’s convergence of underfunded aid, surging needs, and relentless environmental extremes seems poised to shatter even the most resilient communities. As we witness these events unfold, we must ask ourselves: how can we better support these communities that are not just surviving, but striving to thrive amidst immense challenges?
This ongoing crisis underscores a call for action, reminding us that in humanity’s darkest hours, hope can still spark light—even if it flickers softly in the distance.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
