France, Aug. 24 -- The World Food Programme (WFP), the UN agency providing food assistance, said around one third of Somalia's population is now facing acute hunger, with nearly two million children expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year.

"Those are not abstract figures: they are families exhausting every option they have left to survive," the WFP said.

More than 200,000 people were displaced during the second quarter of 2026 as the country faced severe drought. Poor rainfall over several seasons has led to water shortages, crop failures and livestock losses.

Higher fuel and food prices, made worse by the conflict in the Middle East, have added to the pressure.

Somalia is also facing an insurgency by the Islamist al-Shab...