Thousands of displaced in southwest Somalia could be in famine by year-end, IPC says

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 southwest 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