Attachments
Background: Somalia Humanitarian Supply Chain & Access Overview
Somalia is facing an intensifying humanitarian crisis driven by consecutive failed rainy seasons, a harsh Jilaal dry period, and an emerging national drought, particularly severe in Puntland, central, and southern regions. Approximately 4.4 million people are currently experiencing Crisis-level or worse food insecurity (IPC 3+) following the failure of the 2025 Deyr rains and widespread water shortages. Humanitarian operations are increasingly challenged by rising operational costs, notably fuel and transport costs, and disruptions to regional and international supply chains, compounded by global and regional developments. These pressures are affecting procurement timelines, delivery predictability, and the affordability of humanitarian assistance. Escalating conflicts, fragile infrastructure, and restricted road access in southern Somalia add to operational challenges. Insecurity and the presence of non-state armed groups continue to obstruct safe humanitarian access in critical areas such as Gedo, Lower Shabelle, Bay, and Middle Juba. In response to the March 2026 crisis in Baidoa, the Logistics Cluster played a proactive coordination role by sharing real-time access and logistics information to support partner alignment and informed decision-making. As access constraints intensified and following partner requests raised during OCHA-led ad-hoc coordination meetings, the Cluster facilitated last-resort air delivery of 33.7 MT of critical supplies to Southwest State in line with the OCHA contingency plan, helping to mitigate disruptions to life-saving operations. At the same time, funding shortfalls are forcing humanitarian actors to prioritize only the most life-saving interventions, leaving millions at risk of hunger, displacement, and protection concerns. Against this backdrop, demand for logistics services, especially air transport, has sharply increased, enabling the timely delivery of food, health, WASH, education, and shelter supplies to populations otherwise cut off from assistance. The Logistics Cluster remains a pivotal enabler, helping partners overcome physical access barriers and sustain humanitarian operations across the country.