KEY POINTS
- OCHA has launched the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, targeting 4.6 million Somalis suffering from escalating conflict, climate shocks, and drought-driven food insecurity.
- Violence displaced 53% of 455,000 Somalis in 2023, particularly in regions like Mudug and Gedo, while climate-induced disasters continue to overwhelm Somalia’s ability to recover.
- The funding appeal highlights Somalia’s interconnected challenges, requiring urgent international aid and long-term investments to stabilize livelihoods and build resilience against recurring droughts, floods, and disease outbreaks.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced recently that it requires $1.42 billion in 2025 to bolster humanitarian efforts in Somalia, where nearly 6 million people are in dire need of assistance.
The funding appeal comes as the nation grapples with escalating challenges from conflict and climate shocks.
Somalia’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), launched by OCHA, outlines a dual strategy of addressing immediate crises while advocating for long-term solutions through scaled-up development and climate financing.
OCHA targets resilience amid crises
The plan aims to tackle the structural drivers of vulnerability, build resilience, mitigate disaster risks, and enhance climate adaptation.
OCHA has prioritized aid for those facing the most severe hardships, targeting 4.6 million individuals for assistance in 2025. The response plan highlights drought and conflict as the primary risks threatening stability, with projections of worsening conditions likely to exacerbate humanitarian needs. “Drier conditions will increase competition over resources, strain coping mechanisms, and heighten the risk of disease outbreaks,” the agency warned.
Conflict and climate shocks drive displacement
Conflict has emerged as a dominant factor in Somalia’s displacement crisis. According to CapitalBusiness, OCHA reported that 53% of the 455,000 newly displaced people in 2023 were driven from their homes by violence, marking a significant shift as inter-clan fighting intensified in southern regions like Mudug and Gedo. Meanwhile, climate-induced shocks—historically the primary cause of displacement—continue to displace tens of thousands annually.
The rising frequency of droughts and floods has pushed millions of Somalis to the brink, overwhelming their ability to recover and adapt. Below-average Deyr rains from October to December have further compounded the crisis, raising alarm over crop failures and escalating humanitarian needs in the year ahead.
Urgent action needed
The 2025 HNRP underscores the urgent need for international support to stabilize Somalia. With cyclical droughts and flooding straining livelihoods, the country faces a critical juncture that demands immediate humanitarian aid alongside investments in resilience-building initiatives.
“Somalia’s challenges are deeply interconnected, requiring a coordinated response to alleviate suffering while addressing the root causes of its crises,” OCHA stated. The agency’s appeal for $1.42 billion highlights the scale of the challenge—and the global responsibility to act.
