MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) — Charitable organizations operating in Somalia are scaling back life-saving services due to a steep decline in global economic conditions, prompting urgent warnings from United Nations officials about the worsening crisis affecting millions across the country.
On Monday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced a dramatic 74% reduction in Somalia’s humanitarian funding for 2025. The humanitarian appeal has dropped from $1.4 billion to just $367 million, forcing aid agencies to cut their target assistance population from 4.6 million to only 1.3 million people.
This financial setback follows significant cuts from major donors, including the United States, which has frozen portions of its foreign aid budget. Programs managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are among those affected, with low-income nations such as Somalia bearing the brunt of the reductions.
“As of April 30, the humanitarian response plan is only 11% funded,” OCHA stated, emphasizing that additional resources are urgently needed to reach more people who had previously been identified for support.
In light of the shortfall, humanitarian organizations have reorganized their operations, adopting a decentralized coordination model designed to improve aid delivery to the areas most in need. However, the immediate consequences of the funding gap are already being felt across Somalia.
“Due to significant delays in life-saving services, more than 2 million Somalis are expected to face heightened vulnerability this year,” OCHA reported. Health facilities have been forced to shut down, food assistance has been scaled back, and access to clean water and sanitation services is rapidly deteriorating.
OCHA stressed that the funding cuts do not reflect a decline in actual needs. “The re-prioritization does not mean that humanitarian needs have lessened. All the requirements outlined in the 2025 plan remain valid and urgent,” the agency said.
Somalia is currently contending with a range of compounding challenges—including chronic drought, armed conflict, weak governance, widespread displacement, and extreme weather events—which continue to exacerbate the suffering of already fragile communities.
Vulnerable groups, particularly poor households, internally displaced people, and marginalized communities, are bearing the heaviest burden. Aid workers caution that unless funding is swiftly restored, the humanitarian situation in Somalia could deteriorate even further.