According to the Somali government, over 115 mm of rain fell in just eight hours. It is therefore not surprising that at least seven people died in the floods in two districts of Mogadishu. Among the victims were two women and a boy whose body was found under the rubble. The floods destroyed at least nine houses, inundated the homes of 200 families, and damaged six main roads, severely disrupting transportation in the Somali capital. Thousands of residents were forced to seek shelter on higher ground or on rooftops.

Somalia – A Failed State

The described incident was yet another reminder of the problem the Federal Republic of Somalia has with climate change. This East African country is one of the most affected by this negative phenomenon in Africa. Somalia is a failed state, plagued by numerous issues. Among the most serious are: poverty, hunger, decades-long armed conflict (civil war), the presence of Islamist terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab, and weak infrastructure. On top of all that, climate change comes as a sort of negative “icing on the cake.”

Even without climate-related problems, the majority of Somalia’s population would barely survive. According to data from the UN and the World Bank, about 70–75% of Somalia’s population would still face severe difficulties surviving due to poverty, armed conflicts, a lack of public services, and weak state institutions. A large portion of the population lives below the international poverty line. Access to healthcare, education, and clean drinking water is extremely limited, regardless of the climate.

Droughts and Floods Ravage the Country

Extreme weather conditions have a very negative impact on Somalia—greatly worsening an already dire humanitarian situation. Frequent and prolonged droughts cause the destruction of agricultural crops (maize, sorghum, sesame, and fruits) and the death of livestock (goats, sheep, cattle, and camels), leading to reduced availability of food, water, and milk, as well as diminished exports. In 2022, Somalia suffered its worst drought in four decades, affecting 50 percent of its 18 million citizens. Droughts have led to malnutrition and hunger, forcing some parts of the population to migrate from rural areas to cities.

As already mentioned, Somalia is increasingly becoming a scene of severe floods that destroy homes, roads, and other infrastructure. For instance, in 2023, widespread floods devastated agricultural land and infrastructure and displaced three million people. You don’t have to be a scientist to conclude that floods, droughts, and wildfires are triggers for various diseases—that is, they increase the risk of illnesses (cholera, malaria, skin infections, pneumonia, rotavirus, dehydration, etc.), especially among children, the elderly, and people with chronic conditions.

Climate Change – A Multidimensional Crisis Factor

Climate change places additional strain on Somalia’s already weakened public healthcare system and its food and water supply networks. The amount of available livestock—vital to the livelihoods of many families—is drastically decreasing, threatening their very survival. The nomadic way of life, common in East Africa, is becoming increasingly difficult due to the disappearance of grazing land and sources of drinking water.

At the same time, the struggle for scarce resources can disrupt relationships between communities, which are often already in conflict or on poor terms. Thus, climate change becomes a multidimensional crisis factor in a country plagued for decades by war, poverty, disease, and institutional fragility. A striking fact is that around 70 percent of Somalia’s state budget consists of humanitarian aid.

15 Million Hungry Somalis

Given the extremely unfavorable climate-related and economic conditions, it is estimated that about 80–85% of Somalia’s population now lives in conditions of severe food insecurity. More precisely, many barely survive on less than two dollars a day, and many even on less than one. In rural areas and in camps for internally displaced persons, these figures may be even lower due to absolute dependence on humanitarian aid.

A solution to Somalia’s humanitarian crisis will not come anytime soon, even though the UN has called for urgent action to save lives. Unfortunately, all signs indicate that the situation will worsen. The Trump administration decided to reduce American humanitarian assistance, meaning an additional number of Somalis could fall into hunger and malnutrition.