Critical water sources are drying up as drought conditions worsen in Somalia, causing severe water and food scarcity throughout the country. The Federal Government has declared a national drought emergency and appealed for urgent assistance to affected communities.

This situation results from poor rainfall during both the April-June and October-December seasons, worsened by insufficient funding for humanitarian aid that has intensified Somalia’s already critical humanitarian crisis. Projections indicate that at least 4.4 million peopleover one-fifth of the populationwill experience high levels of acute food insecurity from October to December 2025. Additionally, an estimated 1.85 million children under 5 are anticipated to suffer from acute malnutrition through July 2026, as reported in the IPC document issued on September 23.

In northern regions, severe drought has forced an estimated 156,000 people to leave their homes in Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool, with approximately 55,800 crossing into Ethiopia seeking pasture and water, according to the UNHCR-led Protection and Solutions Monitoring Network (PSMN). Over 60,000 livestock are believed to have died, with 120,000 more in critical condition. Similar dire conditions exist in Bari and Mudug regions where essential water sources have vanished, food prices have soared, and livestock has perished. Virtually all regions report heightened difficulties, with internally displaced communities suffering the most.

An OCHA mission on December 1 discovered a distressing situation in Siinaay village, 15 kilometers north of Doolow town in southern Gedo region. Surrounded by intense heat, the village experienced only light rainfall six months prior in May. The vegetation has withered, and dust clouds hover across barren landscape. A water reservoir built by aid agencies two years ago remains empty. The region has never received sufficient rainfall to fill it, and the recent drought has evaporated any remaining water.

One month earlier in November, assistance arrived in Siinaay when the local NGO Lifeline Gedo began transporting water to the village. However, this relief effort ended abruptly when the organization exhausted its funds and halted water deliveries on December 1. “We were delivering 10,000 litres of water daily,” stated Abdi Abdullahi, Lifeline Gedo’s technical manager. “We are requesting support to continue supplying water to this community.”

Siinaay accommodates approximately 200 households, but three times that number of pastoralist families from neighboring rural areas depend on its resources. The village contains a small clinic offering basic healthcare and outreach services. Omar Fani from Vision Corps Initiative, which supports Siinaay Clinic, reported that more residents from the village and surrounding pastoral communities are now seeking assistance. “Previously we served about 5,000 clients,” he stated. “Due to the drought conditions, we are now seeing twice that number.”

Authorities estimate that in Gedo, Lower Juba, and Middle Juba regions, more than 570,000 people are confronting severe water shortages. Families travel extensive distances to locate water sources, and where available commercially, the expense is prohibitively high. “People travel up to 30 kilometers in search of water,” explained Abdikani Hassan, humanitarian and development coordinator for Doolow district. Water truckers, he noted, now charge up to US$1 for a 20-litre jerrycan, compared to the previous average of $3 to $4 for 20 jerricans before the crisis began.

In Doolow town, situated along the Juba and Dawa rivers, water levels have significantly declined. “Typically during this period, at the end of the October-December rainy season, the river would be full or even overflowing,” remarked an aid worker in Doolow. “Instead, the water level has dropped.”

The winding river serves as a vital resource for local communities. Mohamed Abdullahi Kusow, water resources ministry coordinator for Doolow district, cautioned that further decreases in river levels would have grave implications for livelihoods, water quality, and public health. “Small-scale farmers will face difficulties irrigating their crops, leading to reduced harvests,” he explained, noting that communities using river water might be at risk for Acute Watery Diarrhoea from potential contamination.

Decreasing water levels will impact adjacent wells, increasing their salinity, reducing their output, and in some instances, making the water undrinkable. Furthermore, the arid conditions have compromised the current growing season in major grain-producing regions. In locations such as Doolow and Jamaame, where farmers rely on river-fed irrigation, the drought has turned fertile land into unusable fields.

Humanitarian organizations anticipate an increase in population displacement as agro-pastoralists journey in greater distances seeking water and grazing land. Movements toward neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya are already documented, as well as into Doolow district where half of its approximately 200,000 residents are already displaced individuals.

Fatuma Ali, a mother of six, departed from her home in Ceel Boon, Bakool region, searching for food and aid. She reached Kabasa displacement camp in Doolow on November 27, having traveled nearly 170 kilometers. “I am a grandmother,” she shared. “We came from Let Makti village in Waajid because we had no food. The rains our farm depended on failed for over a year, and we had no livestock to support us. We arrived here empty-handed; we are in need of assistance.”

Livestock, the primary livelihood resource for pastoralists, faces growing danger; authorities estimate more than 2 million head are endangered by the drought. Business at Doolow livestock market has declined significantly. “Only the healthiest animals are being brought to market; no one purchases thin ones,” stated one trader. “Prices have dropped by approximately 50 percent; a goat previously selling for $70 now fetches $30 to $35. If this trend continues, quality livestock will vanish from the market.”

Government officials are urgently requesting assistance to prevent a potential collapse of pastoral and farming livelihoods and avoidable loss of life. The upcoming four months will be crucial, they warn, as the next rainfall is not anticipated until April 2026. Already, tensions between communities over scarce grazing areas and water resources have been reported in Middle Juba.

Humanitarian workers are organizing their response efforts: inventorying supply resources, conducting field visits to evaluate the extent of the crisis, and examining available options for prompt intervention. Nevertheless, they face substantial limitations due to inadequate funding. By December 2, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had received only 24 percent of required funding.