WFP Warns Somalia Operations Could Halt Entirely by July 2026 — Matthew Hollingworth: 'Only Reaching 1 in 10 People Who Need Help'

World Food Programme Assistant Executive Director Matthew Hollingworth returned from Somalia on May 8, 2026 with an urgent warning: WFP could be forced to halt all Somalia operations by July 2026 without new emergency funding. Hollingworth's assessment documented the full scale of the crisis: nearly 6 million Somalis — approximately one in three — face acute hunger, with 2 million experiencing emergency-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 4), one step away from famine. WFP now reaches only 1 in 10 people who require assistance, down from over 2 million people previously served. The reduction is directly attributable to funding cuts — primarily the Trump administration's elimination of USAID contributions — which slashed Somalia's humanitarian response plan from $2.6 billion (2023) to $852 million (2026), only 13.4% of which has been funded. Children are bearing the worst impact: 1.9 million children under five face acute malnutrition — up from 1.85 million in earlier UNICEF estimates. Food prices have surged by up to 70% in some areas while fuel costs have risen 150%, driven by the Iran War's impact on shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Three consecutive failed rainy seasons compound the emergency. WFP's explicit warning that it may cease all Somalia operations by July — affecting millions who depend on WFP for survival — represents the most severe escalation of humanitarian distress signaling in Somalia since the 2011 famine period.