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SWALIM’s Critical Role in Somalia’s Drought Emergency Response
Somalia is facing a severe drought emergency following consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall. On 10 November 2025, the Federal Government declared a national drought emergency as conditions spread across northern, central, and southern regions. An estimated 2.5 million people now live in drought-affected areas, with 4.4 million projected to face acute food insecurity through December 2025. The situation is particularly dire in Puntland, where nearly one million people need support. Humanitarian response has been severely constrained by funding shortfalls, with emergency food assistance dropping from 1.1 million recipients in August to just 350,000 by November.
FAO SWALIM serves as the backbone of drought monitoring and early warning in Somalia. The Combined Drought Index (CDI) integrates rainfall, temperature, and vegetation data to produce monthly drought severity assessments. The November 2025 CDI analysis shows severe to extreme drought conditions affecting nearly all livelihood zones in South and Central Somalia, parts of Puntland, and northwestern Somaliland—driven by substantial rainfall deficits and unusually high temperatures. This analysis directly informs where humanitarian agencies deploy water trucking and other emergency interventions.
SWALIM’s strategic borehole monitoring dashboard provides real-time information on water sources across the country. Partners can access location, depth, functional status, water quality, yield, and pricing for each borehole—essential data for coordinating water trucking operations as surface water sources have dried up. With the next rains not expected until March/April 2026, SWALIM’s information systems remain critical for guiding anticipatory action and ensuring limited resources reach the most vulnerable communities.