“Partners indicate that at least 120,000 people were displaced between September and December, as water prices soar, food becomes increasingly scarce, livestock die and livelihoods collapse,” OCHA said in an update.
Additionally, more than 75,000 students nationwide have been forced to leave school.
Conditions are expected to worsen
The upcoming dry season, from January to March, is expected to worsen drought conditions, OCHA said, warning of impacts such as increased water shortages, more livestock deaths and the potential for greater food insecurity in many parts of the country.
“Authorities are calling for urgent assistance to prevent a potential collapse of pastoral and agricultural livelihoods and prevent avoidable loss of life. They warn that the next four months will be critical as the next rainy season is not expected until April 2026,” the update says.
OCHA emphasized that the UN and its partners are mobilized: “supporting assessments, mapping available stockpiles of supplies and coordinating emergency responses in the water, food, nutrition, health and housing sectors.”
Aid workers are also providing cash assistance, animal fodder and rehabilitating wells, while visiting locations on the ground to assess the severity of the situation and review resources for early action.
However, their efforts are severely limited by significant funding gaps.
Last month, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher allocated $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which provides timely assistance when conflicts and climate-related disasters occur, “but much more support is urgently needed,” OCHA said.
As 2025 draws to a close, the $1.4 billion humanitarian response plan for Somalia has received only about $370 million, about a quarter of the funding needed, leaving critical gaps in life-saving programs.