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More than\u00a01.8 million\u00a0children\u00a0under five are also at risk of acute malnutrition<\/strong>\u00a0between now and June,\u00a0according to\u00a0latest analysis\u00a0published on Tuesday by the\u00a0IPC\u00a0food security monitoring platform\u00a0(see our\u00a0UN News<\/em>\u00a0explainer\u00a0on the platform here).\u00a0<\/p>\n The worrying development comes after\u00a0the\u00a0October to December\u00a0Deyr<\/em>\u00a0season\u00a0rains\u00a0failed\u00a0and\u00a0crop production fell. Those most impacted are\u00a0poor farmers,\u00a0pastoralists, and internally displaced people.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Somalia, drought,\u00a0insecurity\u00a0and conflict in\u00a0the\u00a0centre, south and some parts of\u00a0the\u00a0north\u00a0\u2013\u00a0driven by insurgency, competition over resources and other factors \u2013 have\u00a0displaced\u00a0people while also disrupting livelihoods and access to markets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The situation was further compounded by\u00a0high local and imported food prices, alongside\u00a0a reduction in humanitarian\u00a0assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n The IPC \u2013\u00a0a\u00a0UN-backed initiative \u2013 uses a scale\u00a0from one to five\u00a0to\u00a0measure the severity of food insecurity\u00a0that helps\u00a0governments and humanitarians to classify crises.\u00a0<\/p>\n The experts estimated that\u00a0a staggering 6.5 million Somalis\u00a0are facing acute food insecurity<\/strong>, or IPC\u00a0Phase 3 and above, compared to 3.4 million during the first quarter of 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Over two million are at emergency level, or\u00a0Phase 4.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the pastoral and agropastoral people in northern, central, and southern regions are classified in Phase 3,\u201d they said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThese livelihoods face significant food consumption gaps, rising acute malnutrition, and are\u00a0relying on crisis or emergency coping strategies just to meet basic food needs<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The IPC analysis revealed that\u00a0this year, 1.84 million\u00a0young\u00a0children are suffering or will suffer from acute malnutrition, with 483,000 cases of\u00a0severe acute malnutrition (SAM).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The condition \u2013 also known as severe wasting \u2013 is the deadliest form of malnutrition,\u00a0according to\u00a0the\u00a0UN\u00a0Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF).\u00a0<\/p>\n Acute food insecurity in Somalia is expected to worsen\u00a0through March during the\u00a0dry\u00a0Jilaal<\/em>\u00a0season,\u00a0the hottest period of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Forecasts\u00a0indicate\u00a0that the\u00a0Gu<\/em>\u00a0rainy season from April to June is likely to be average in most\u00a0areas of the country which should lead to the gradual restoration of water and pasture resources.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nDrought, displacement, aid shortfalls<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Millions going hungry<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Step up action<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n