Drought conditions force families to flee to displacement camps in Somalia

Key Points:

• Luul Mohamed and her five children fled severe drought in Somalia’s Middle Jubba region, traveling over 300 kilometers to Baidoa, a city now hosting around 1.6 million people, nearly half displaced by drought and conflict.
• Somalia faces a worsening humanitarian crisis with about 2 million people experiencing emergency food insecurity, more than double last year, exacerbated by shrinking humanitarian aid and rising prices.
• The U.N. projects a high likelihood of El Nino conditions developing in late 2026, potentially causing severe flooding that could worsen displacement, disease outbreaks, and food insecurity in drought-affected regions.
• Malnutrition among children under five is critical, with treatment cases in Baidoa nearly tripling in six months, while outbreaks of diseases such as diphtheria, measles, and cholera further threaten vulnerable populations.
• Displaced families in Baidoa face urgent shortages of food, clean water, and basic support, with many forced to buy expensive trucked water amid ongoing drought and economic hardship.