UNICEF: 6.5 Million Somalis Face Acute Hunger, Iran-War Supply Chains Add New Risk

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell visited Dollow in the Gedo region and issued an emergency warning that Somalia's humanitarian crisis is dramatically worsening: 6.5 million people — one-third of Somalia's population — face IPC Phase 3–4 crisis-level hunger as of March 2026, up 1.7 million from January. Some 1.84 million children under five are expected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026, with roughly 500,000 at severe risk. Russell warned that the ongoing Iran-Israel war has disrupted global humanitarian supply chains, potentially raising transit costs for lifesaving supplies by 30–60% and placing $15.7 million in therapeutic food, vaccines, and mosquito nets in transit uncertainty. The 2025 Deyr cereal harvest was 83% below the 30-year average — the worst in three decades. WFP can currently reach only 1 in 10 people in need and requires $95 million urgently to continue through August 2026. Somalia's total 2026 humanitarian funding requirement stands at $852 million; the EU has allocated €63 million.