Mogadishu, Somalia, November 25, 2025 — Recent rainfall data confirms that households across the northern regions of Somalia are now facing their third consecutive season of poor rains. The drought is compounding already fragile food security conditions and heightening the risk of a full-scale emergency, similar to what East Africa faced between 2020-2023, where 30 million people faced drought related food insecurity. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is scaling up both Anticipatory Action and Emergency Response efforts in Mudug, one of the most affected regions, to protect lives and livelihoods as forecasts signal a critical window before conditions worsen irreversibly.
Successive seasons of poor rains have devastated livelihoods, drying up water sources, depleting pastures, and exhausting the coping capacities of already vulnerable, agro-pastoral dependent households. The IRC warns that without urgent and expanded humanitarian action, malnutrition rates are set to rise sharply, putting countless lives at risk.
Abukar Mohamud, IRC Somalia Deputy Director of Programs said,
“We are facing a potentially dire emergency unless rains arrive within the next 10 days. Communities in Mudug and across Somalia have already endured repeated climate shocks, and the current conditions risk erasing years of hard-won recovery. Many are still struggling to rebuild from the 2020–2023 drought, the worst East Africa had seen in over four decades.
“Deepening drought conditions come at a time when funding shortages have forced humanitarians to scale down and reprioritize their response. As a result, humanitarian actors are now able to reach only around 1.57 million people with assistance - far below the 4.57 million people in need. Our teams are acting early, linking forecasts to action but the gravity of this crisis means we must bridge anticipatory measures with rapid humanitarian response. Lives depend on early, flexible, and well-coordinated funding.
“Coordinating with Somalia authorities for a broader emergency response, For the first time in Somalia, the IRC is implementing an Anticipatory Action strategy that includes a nutrition component alongside cash, water and hygiene services, addressing both immediate needs and early preventive measures to curb malnutrition and disease outbreaks.”
The IRC’s expanded response plan strengthens early action and emergency support in protracted crises. By working closely with local authorities and partners, the IRC is delivering proven, life-saving interventions even in the most challenging conflict-affected areas in coordination with local authorities, partners and civil society.
The IRC urges global leaders to urgently and fully fund the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan(HRP), which remains less than 25 percent financed with only one month left in the year.
The IRC began working in Somalia in 1981 in the aftermath of the Somalia-Ethiopia conflict. Over the years operations faced several interruptions due to insecurity and civil unrest but has been operating continuously since 2007. The IRC is operational in the main areas of concern including Banadir, Puntland, South-West, Jubaland and Hirshabelle states, and is continuing to support families with healthcare for malnourished children, unconditional cash transfers to help people quickly get the support they need, rehabilitation of boreholes and water sources as well as mobile health services to reach deeper into hard hit areas. Recent rainfall data confirms that households across the northern regions of Somalia are now facing their third consecutive season of poor rains. The drought is compounding already fragile food security conditions and heightening the risk of a full-scale emergency, similar to what East Africa faced between 2020-2023, where 30 million people faced drought related food insecurity. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is scaling up both Anticipatory Action and Emergency Response efforts in Mudug, one of the most affected regions, to protect lives and livelihoods as forecasts signal a critical window before conditions worsen irreversibly.
Successive seasons of poor rains have devastated livelihoods, drying up water sources, depleting pastures, and exhausting the coping capacities of already vulnerable, agro-pastoral dependent households. The IRC warns that without urgent and expanded humanitarian action, malnutrition rates are set to rise sharply, putting countless lives at risk.
Abukar Mohamud, IRC Somalia Deputy Director of Programs said,
“We are facing a potentially dire emergency unless rains arrive within the next 10 days. Communities in Mudug and across Somalia have already endured repeated climate shocks, and the current conditions risk erasing years of hard-won recovery. Many are still struggling to rebuild from the 2020–2023 drought, the worst East Africa had seen in over four decades.
“Deepening drought conditions come at a time when funding shortages have forced humanitarians to scale down and reprioritize their response. As a result, humanitarian actors are now able to reach only around 1.57 million people with assistance - far below the 4.57 million people in need. Our teams are acting early, linking forecasts to action but the gravity of this crisis means we must bridge anticipatory measures with rapid humanitarian response. Lives depend on early, flexible, and well-coordinated funding.
“Coordinating with Somalia authorities for a broader emergency response, For the first time in Somalia, the IRC is implementing an Anticipatory Action strategy that includes a nutrition component alongside cash, water and hygiene services, addressing both immediate needs and early preventive measures to curb malnutrition and disease outbreaks.”
The IRC’s expanded response plan strengthens early action and emergency support in protracted crises. By working closely with local authorities and partners, the IRC is delivering proven, life-saving interventions even in the most challenging conflict-affected areas in coordination with local authorities, partners and civil society.
The IRC urges global leaders to urgently and fully fund the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan(HRP), which remains less than 25 percent financed with only one month left in the year.
The IRC began working in Somalia in 1981 in the aftermath of the Somalia-Ethiopia conflict. Over the years operations faced several interruptions due to insecurity and civil unrest but has been operating continuously since 2007. The IRC is operational in the main areas of concern including Banadir, Puntland, South-West, Jubaland and Hirshabelle states, and is continuing to support families with healthcare for malnourished children, unconditional cash transfers to help people quickly get the support they need, rehabilitation of boreholes and water sources as well as mobile health services to reach deeper into hard hit areas.