IFRC emergency appeal for Somalia: ‘Climate-driven drought deepens complex humanitarian crisis’

By the Climate Centre  

(This appeal was announced first in an IFRC press release issued in Nairobi on Wednesday.)

The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for 25 million Swiss francs to help the Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) respond to a worsening humanitarian crisis that has left millions struggling for survival amid failed rains, food shortages, and failing local systems.

Naemi Heita, IFRC Head of Delegation, Nairobi Country Cluster for Kenya and Somalia, said: “This climate-driven drought is deepening an already-complex humanitarian crisis, stripping communities of water, food, and fodder. SRCS volunteers remain on the front lines, committed to helping their neighbours.”

Somalia remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian contexts, shaped by decades of conflict, economic fragility and climate extremes.

What the country faces is not a seasonal shock, the IFRC appeal points out, but a “systemic collapse driven by climate change, insecurity and the erosion of essential services. Years of recurrent drought, environmental degradation and collapsing essential services have left communities on the brink.”

Community coping is at breaking point

Most recently Somalia is grappling with the aftermath of its worst drought in 40 years and catastrophic floods in 2023: the failed Gu rains (April–June) triggered new declarations of drought, while the latest forecasts warn that Deyr rains (October–December) will also fall short.

More than 2.5 million people are facing severe shortages of food, water and essential services.

Health centres are closing, displacement is rising, and community coping mechanisms – once a vital safety net – are now at a breaking point.

Some communities have been relying on sharing scarce resources, migrating in search of water and pasture, selling livestock, and reducing meals, but these strategies are no longer enough.

After years of recurring droughts and limited recovery time, these traditional safety nets are collapsing, leaving families with no options and in urgent need of sustained, life-saving support.

Despite insecurity, damaged roads and shrinking funds, the SRCS continues to reach those most in need.With over 1,000 staff and 20,000 volunteers across 18 branches, the National Society provides health care, clean water, sanitation, shelter, and food support, often in areas inaccessible to others.

In 2024 alone, SRCS reached 1.2 million people, demonstrating unmatched community reach and trust.

SRCS President Yusuf Hassan said: “This appeal is an urgent call to the international community to help sustain life-saving operations, as communities exhaust their final coping strategies and essential services scale down.

“We must act now to protect lives, save livelihoods, and offer a chance for recovery and hope.”

Reducing reliance on climate-sensitive livelihoods

The SRCS will now be enabled to support “farming, fishing and pastoralist communities through long-term, climate-smart interventions aimed at protecting household incomes and promoting environmental sustainability,” the appeal launched this week adds.

The planned response also includes drought-resistant seeds, tools, organic fertilizer, irrigation systems and training in climate-resilient farming, pest control and post-harvest agricultural management, and incorporate fishing and pastoralist communities with other specialized interventions.

“To reduce reliance on climate-sensitive livelihoods, SRCS will promote diversification through vocational training, market-based initiatives and support for small businesses [combined] with efforts to reduce land degradation, restore ecosystems and build long-term resilience.”

All activities will integrate protection, gender, and inclusion to ensure communities are supported safely and with dignity. The IFRC and SRCS are now urging donors, governments, and partners to stand with the people of Somalia and help close the growing funding gap.

Water scarcity has reached critical levels in Somalia after repeated climate shocks pushed traditional sources to the brink, disrupted farming and triggered widespread human displacement. Boreholes are not working, trucking is unaffordable, and contamination is widespread. Pictured, the SRCS Borama branch successfully rehabilitated a shallow well using solar-powered pumping – it went online at the end of July and will now be augmented by others supported in a new emergency appeal. (Photo: IFRC)