The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has estimated 2.7 million Somalis will face severe food shortages over the coming months as drought conditions continue to cause critical water shortages.

More than 50 districts face moderate to severe drought conditions. Current forecasts indicate little to no rainfall for most parts of Somalia through the third week of April and predict a second consecutive season of below-average rainfall during the current rainy season.

The Drought conditions are spreading throughout Somalia against a backdrop of depleted coping mechanisms due to recurrent shocks and high levels of forced displacement. Over 1.3 million Somalis were displaced in 2020 and 112,000 have been displaced in the first three months of 2021, about 34% of them due to drought conditions.