The recent drought is a prominent cause of food insecurity in Somalia, leading to mass displacement as citizens leave their homes in search of new water sources. Early 2026 has proven difficult as the country faces below-average rain seasons, which are depleting water sources and grazing conditions for livestock and reducing agricultural production. The World Food Program is using new technological advancements to predict a crisis, allowing organizations to prepare assistance to curtail its impact in remote regions.

The Drought

Without the means to sustain livestock or crops, farmers take a financial hit, while the remaining portion of the country suffers from insufficient food supply. Mass displacement is not the only concern; malnutrition is another major consequence of the drought as it contributes to the issue of food insecurity in Somalia. The International Organization for Migration claims that this recent drought now accounts for three out of every four new displacements, a 22% increase from last year, resulting in a total of 62,000 people displaced.

Somalia’s geography and topography make the country susceptible to natural disasters. This unfortunately means that little can be done to reduce or prevent droughts.

The long-lasting drought has forced families to travel to find water sources, worsening a poverty crisis. The informal settlements that have subsequently emerged bring their own challenges, including overcrowding with limited water or sanitation and inadequate shelter.

Current Initiatives

The World Food Program (WFP) is a major organization working to combat food insecurity in Somalia and the rest of the world. Children, unable to work or grow food, are forced to rely entirely on their parents or guardians. This increases their vulnerability to food insecurity, which the WFP focuses on.

With the help of the WFP, schools provide more than 100,000 meals to their primary school students. This not only helps immediately feed children, it also injects more than $750,000 into the economy. Local farmers or markets supply portions of these meals, even as the conflict in the Middle East has driven food prices up drastically. The WFP addresses two major areas in this program, supporting a struggling economy and its most vulnerable citizens.

Introducing AI

One of the most recent strategies the WFP has implemented is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the hardest-hit region of Burhakaba. This technology previously existed in HungerMap Live as a platform that displays data on food insecurity to the general public. It tracks what areas of the world are in need as an estimation, but its ability to predict future hunger crises was limited.

As of April, the program received an update that addressed these limitations, introducing new predictive AI features that allow governments and WFP field offices around the world to mobilize resources and act before a crisis worsens.

This new technology and use of AI give organizations the knowledge of where in the world incoming service may be needed, giving the WFP a chance to prepare and act preventatively rather than through damage control. Because provisions will be ready and sent out before a crisis hits, this approach will reduce or avoid malnutrition and deterioration altogether.

New Hope

While organizations like the WFP are dedicated to helping the world’s most vulnerable communities, sometimes their technology and infrastructure can only do so much. This new introduction of AI in Somalia provides hope for the future of technology to battle global poverty, assisting remote areas while allowing governments and organizations to act preventatively rather than in response.

– Angelica Ciaravino

Angelica is based in Toronto, Canada and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr