Thousands of displaced in south-west Somalia could be in famine by year end, IPC says
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FILE PHOTO: Internally displaced Somali women arrange their plastic jerrycans as they queue to collect water from a tap at the Elbet 1 camp as humanitarian funding continues to decline despite rapidly increasing needs according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), in Baidoa, Somalia August 10, 2026. REUTERS/Feisal Omar/File Photo
NAIROBI, Sept 23 - Thousands of displaced people in Somalia's south-west could experience famine between October and December if El Nino causes worse-than-expected flooding and humanitarian aid remains insufficient, a global hunger monitor said on Wednesday.
Baidoa, one of Somalia's biggest cities, is home to hundreds of thousands displaced by conflict and hunger.
A report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an initiative of UN agencies, regional bodies and aid groups, said that 5% of displaced people in Baidoa, or about 26,000, were likely to face starvation and a collapse in livelihoods in October to December.
More than 5 million Somalis, 26% of the analysed population, are already suffering crisis-level food insecurity or worse due to repeated droughts, conflict and aid shortfalls, the report said.
The number suffering food insecurity is forecast at 5.4 million people in October to December.
Food aid is expected to reach only 70,400 people per month in October to December, or 1.3% of those in need.
An estimated 1.92 million children aged 6 months to 5 years will require treatment for acute malnutrition by next June, including 433,000 severe cases.
Somalia last experienced famine in 2011, when around 250,000 people died, and came close in 2017 and 2022. REUTERS