The southwestern city of Baidoa in Somalia has become a critical hub for families fleeing the devastating effects of prolonged drought. Luul Mohamed a mother of five, recently arrived in Baidoa after a grueling journey from Saakoow a town over 186 miles away. Her family’s story is just one of many illustrating the deepening humanitarian emergency gripping the region.
Years of droughtconflict and economic pressures have pushed more families from rural communities into displacement camps. The situation is worsening as hunger rises and humanitarian funding dwindles. According to Plan International about 2 million people are now facing emergency levels of food insecurity, more than double the number recorded last year. The organization has provided assistance to over 200,000 people in Somalia this year and is calling for increased international aid.
Four Consecutive Years of Drought
The drought in Somalia has stretched for four consecutive years, decimating crops and killing livestock. Habiba Adan who fled her settlement in Awdiinle in the Bay region shared her bleak outlook: “The drought we are experiencing has stretched for four consecutive years, and this year, most crops have again been decimated.” Families like Adan’s are left with little prospect of rebuilding their lives, forcing them to seek refuge in displacement camps.
Baidoa is now hosting about 1.6 million people nearly half of whom are displaced. One of the most immediate challenges facing these families is access to clean water. According to Plan International one in five families lacks reliable access to water, often forced to buy trucked water at prices many cannot afford.
The Human Toll of the Crisis
The humanitarian crisis is taking a severe toll on the health and well-being of Somali families. Reena Ghelani the global CEO of Plan International visited Baidoa last week and met with drought-displaced families. She described the dire situation: “Many of the families I met had tried to remain in their communities through successive years of drought, leaving only when their resources were exhausted. And now they say there’s nothing left. They have no water. They have no stocks. The animals have died. There is literally nothing left anymore.”
Data released in May by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification showed that about half of children under 5 in Somalia are facing acute malnutrition. The number of children receiving treatment for the most dangerous form of malnutrition in Baidoa has nearly tripled over six months, according to Save the Children. Dr. Omar Abdikarin a nutritionist in Baidoa, reported that malnutrition is prevalent in the region, with the majority of patients suffering from malnourishment.
The Threat of El Nino and Future Challenges
The prospect of heavy rainfall later this year presents a new threat to communities already facing multiple crises. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has projected a greater than 90% probability of El Nino conditions developing from mid-2026 and intensifying during Somalia’s October-to-December rainy season. Intense rainfall and flooding could wash away homes and farmland, contaminate drinking water, and force families to move again.
Aid agencies warn that the expected El Nino conditions will compound the crisis for countless families before they have had time to recover from prolonged drought conditions. For families arriving in Baidoa, such as Luul Mohamed‘s, the most urgent question is where to find clean water and food. Mohamed’s husband has left for farms on the outskirts of the city in search of work or something for their children to eat, leaving the family in a state of uncertainty.
