In August 2025, prolonged dry conditions left families across Somaliland facing severe shortages of water, food, and pasture. More than 650,000 people in Somaliland were affected by the drought, increasing pressure on households whose livelihoods depend on livestock and seasonal rains.
The crisis formed part of a wider emergency across central and northern Somalia. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 2.5 million people across 26 districts were living in areas moderately or severely affected by drought. Of these, approximately 887,000 people were in 16 severely affected districts.
What the drought meant for families
In Somaliland, wells had dried up and pasture had been depleted. For pastoralist families, whose livelihoods depend on herding animals such as goats, sheep, cattle, and camels, the loss of water and grazing land threatened both household income and access to food.
Somaliland authorities declared a drought emergency on July 22, 2025, and appealed for humanitarian assistance. Families needed immediate access to clean water and food, alongside support that could help protect their health, shelter, and livelihoods.
How HDF responded
At the time of publication, the Human Development Fund (HDF) response focused on urgent needs while supporting longer-term recovery:
- Food assistance: distributing essential food supplies to families experiencing severe food insecurity and supporting agricultural programs intended to strengthen resilience.
- Water and sanitation: rehabilitating water infrastructure, delivering clean drinking water, and promoting hygiene practices that help reduce the risk of waterborne disease.
- Shelter support: providing items such as tents, blankets, and mosquito nets, alongside repairs to help families regain safer living conditions.
Each part of the response addressed a practical need: food for families facing shortages, safe water for households and livestock-dependent communities, and shelter for people whose security had been disrupted.
Help families through the emergency
Drought strips away resources that families rely on every day, but timely support can help protect health, sustain households, and create a path toward recovery.
Donate to HDF’s Somalia emergency relief response and help provide food, clean water, sanitation, and shelter support to families facing the effects of drought.
