Rural Somalia faces an escalating humanitarian emergency as communities endure their second consecutive year of failed rains, with water scarcity now threatening both livelihoods and public health. Over 80% of drought-affected regions report depleted wells and unsustainable price hikes for clean water, according to local authorities.
"Both people and livestock have been severely affected," said pastoralist Cadar Osman Nur, describing how families ration dwindling supplies from crumbling boreholes. The UN estimates 4.5 million Somalis currently require water assistance, with children walking up to 12 kilometers daily to fetch contaminated supplies.
Hirshabelle State Humanitarian Affairs coordinator Abdirahman Abdullahi Mohamed warns water prices have doubled since 2025: "A drum that cost $1.50 now costs $4. Vulnerable families face impossible choices between hydration and hunger."
The crisis has wiped out 60% of pastoralists' livestock – the primary economic asset in rural areas – while waterborne diseases surge. Somalia's disaster agency predicts worsening conditions through 2026's first rainy season, with climate models indicating below-average precipitation.
