Friday May 15, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia received 25 tons of food aid from Russia on Friday as the country faces rising humanitarian needs driven by conflict, drought and worsening food insecurity.
The shipment was handed over in Mogadishu at a ceremony attended by Information Minister Abdifatah Qasim Mohamud, Somali Disaster Management Agency Chairman Mohamud Moalin Abdulle and Russia’s ambassador to Somalia and Djibouti.
“This is not the first time that Russia has provided such aid to Somalia. The government and people of Russia have shown their friendship and support for the Somali people,” the SoDMA chairman said.
He thanked the Russian government, the Russian Embassy and agencies involved in the delivery, saying the aid would be used to support communities facing severe humanitarian conditions.
The donation comes as food-security monitors warn that parts of southern Somalia face the risk of famine after poor rains, conflict, displacement and reduced humanitarian funding deepened the crisis. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said Burhakaba district in Bay region has reached IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 5, classified as “extremely critical,” and faces a risk of famine under a plausible worst-case scenario.
Somalia remains one of the world’s most food-insecure countries, with repeated droughts, poverty and insecurity weakening families’ ability to recover. The country last experienced famine in 2011, when about 250,000 people died, and came close again in 2017 and 2022.
Humanitarian agencies say global aid cuts and rising costs linked to international conflicts are complicating efforts to respond to food shortages. The latest IPC update said nearly 1.88 million children in Somalia are expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026.
The food aid also comes as Somalia and Russia have expanded diplomatic and humanitarian engagement in recent years. Somali officials said Moscow previously provided relief assistance in 2023 and has continued to express support for Somalia through humanitarian and diplomatic channels.
Somali authorities said they would continue efforts to strengthen emergency relief operations and deliver aid to people affected by drought, conflict and displacement.
