MOGADISHU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Program (WFP) warned on Friday that Somalia is on the brink of a severe hunger catastrophe that could escalate into famine without urgent funding.
WFP Assistant Executive Director Matthew Hollingworth, who visited Somalia this week, said six million people in the country are facing acute food insecurity due to the combined effects of drought, conflict, and funding shortages.
Hollingworth noted that an estimated 1.9 million children are acutely malnourished, with hundreds of thousands at risk of the most severe form of the condition.
"The warning signs are unmistakable. Hunger is rising. Coping strategies are collapsing. And the window is starting to close," he said.
The fallout from the crisis in the Middle East is driving up food prices by 70 percent in some areas, while fuel prices have skyrocketed by 150 percent. These spikes are disrupting supply routes and making the delivery of life-saving aid increasingly expensive inside the country, said Hollingworth.
Due to a critical lack of resources, the WFP has been forced to reduce aid. Life-saving assistance is now only reaching one in 10 people in need, a trajectory that mirrors conditions preceding the 2011 famine and the 2022 near-famine situation, the WFP warned. ■
