Somalia faces another hunger crisis and the UN food agency head says it has far less funds to help

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Six million people in Somalia are grappling with severe food shortages, according to the World Food Program (WFP). However, the U.N. agency has just a fraction of the resources it had in 2022 when it helped avert famine during a severe drought and conflict. WFP's acting executive director, Carl Skau, stated that the organization can only provide basic nutritional support to the most severely affected children.

The reduced funding, due to cuts in international aid and the reallocation of resources to other crises, prevents WFP from expanding its assistance in Somalia. Around 30% of the population is already facing critical levels of food insecurity. The WFP projects that 1.9 million children under five will suffer acute malnutrition this year, with nearly 500,000 requiring urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition.