As Somalia enters 2023, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The severe drought, hunger, disease and violence merge to bring Somalia to the brink of famine.
An estimated 8.25 million people (1.5 million children under five, 1.8 million girls (five to 17 years), 1.8 million boys (five to 17 years), 1.3 million women, 1.4 million men and 412,000 elderly) require humanitarian assistance. Significant segments of the population are on the brink of famine. In the absence of sufficient funding and enhanced capacity, Famine is projected between April and June 2023 and beyond for three population groups in the following areas: Baidoa and Burhakaba Rural districts as well as IDPs in Baidoa and Mogadishu.
Humanitarian needs continue to grow disproportionately for marginalised and vulnerable groups. The increasing scale and severity of needs is alarming. Within one year, 1.5 million people have transitioned from facing severe and extreme food insecurity to catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Somalis are hungrier, sicker and more vulnerable than a year ago, pushing an ever greater number of people into reliance on humanitarian assistance for survival.