Somalia Christmas Appeal
The climate crisis is driving deadly hunger in Somalia. You can help families recover and build for the future this Christmas.
Over 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing acute levels of hunger. The climate crisis is pushing families to the brink of survival.
Like in Ireland, agriculture is a tradition passed down by generations that millions rely on to live. But increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather is making it harder for families to grow food, sustain livestock and earn stable incomes.
Brutal droughts, erratic rainfall and severe flooding are devastating crops, reducing water access and wiping out an estimated 30–40% of livestock in the hardest-hit areas. As a result, farming and pastoral communities are struggling to survive, and mothers like Faizah* are running out of options to feed their families.
Faizah and Malliya
In the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, another year of devastating drought has destroyed crops and worsened families’ hunger. Faizah, a farmer in the rural community, saw her crops fail yet again. “The elders say this is the worst drought we have seen in a long time. Our farmland is small. For the last seven years, we have had no surplus to sell at the market.”
Subsistence farmers like Faizah and her husband are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. With no stockpiled food and few assets, a single failed crop can be fatal. To survive a crisis, families sell assets, leaving them even more vulnerable for the next drought or flood.
“Sometimes we have just one meal a day. Sometimes we don’t eat anything,” Faizah says. “We feed the children sorghum. But the price of sorghum has recently doubled. Even the seeds to grow crops have become very expensive. We can’t even sow. What can we do? Can we make rain?”
Faizah watched as her four-year-old daughter Malliya* fell sick and lost weight. “She didn’t have an appetite. She used to be very playful; laughing and lively. I was really worried, to the point of grieving. I didn’t know what her illness was. There was no hospital nearby.”
Faizah made the decision to bring her daughter to Mogadishu, where she found Banadir Hospital Stabilisation Centre. Staff at the centre, which is operated by Concern, diagnosed Malliya with severe malnutrition. Thankfully, they began her treatment immediately, giving her emergency therapeutic food - a nutrient and calorie dense peanut paste that helps children to regain their strength.
In 2025, nearly 3,000 children like Malliya were treated for acute malnutrition at the centre, with a 99% survival rate. Your donation can help provide the vital treatment needed for malnourished children to recover.
*Names have been changed
Building resilience in communities
As well as addressing the immediate needs of malnourished children by supporting health clinics, your donation will help families to build their resilience against climate shocks and rebuild their livelihoods.
We are providing farmers with drought-resistant seeds, water conservation systems and cash assistance to help protect their assets during crises; training them in climate-smart farming techniques to strengthen food production; and working closely with local communities and authorities to train them in disaster risk reduction.
By combining immediate humanitarian support with longer-term resilience building, your donation will help communities build sustainable, secure and climate-adapted futures.
