Mogadishu – Somalia’s Disaster Management Commissioner launched a critical humanitarian summit in Mogadishu on Tuesday, assembling government bodies and global organizations to combat the escalating drought and food emergency.
Mahamud Moallim Abdulle, head of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA), demanded prompt, information-guided actions to save lives and enhance cooperation between officials and humanitarian collaborators.
“We require immediate, fact-based approaches instead of general strategies to safeguard at-risk populations and stop this crisis from escalating,” Commissioner Moallim stated, noting that the meeting’s results would directly shape drought relief initiatives and safeguard Somali citizens.
Discussions centered on pinpointing regions with the highest vulnerability experiencing Emergency (IPC Phase 4) situations, formulating a fully-funded emergency action plan with explicit functions and accountabilities, and bolstering current measures to halt further decline. The summit follows one of the most limited October–December rainy seasons in history, attributed to La Niña weather patterns, which has impacted approximately 4.61 million people across the nation with extended drought conditions.
The situation is further aggravated by monetary constraints, as Somalia’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had received only 26 percent of required funding by late December, compelling aid organizations to reduce support despite mounting demands.
