Iran War and Strait of Hormuz Closure Worsen Somalia’s Hunger Crisis

Somalia is caught in a perfect storm of humanitarian disaster, worsened dramatically by the ongoing war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This vital shipping route’s shutdown has sent fuel prices soaring by as much as 150 percent across Somalia, crippling the delivery of lifesaving food and aid.

Matthew Hollingworth, assistant executive director for program operations at the World Food Program, paints a grim picture from Mogadishu. Aid shipments are arriving a month late, leaving vulnerable populations without assistance during a critical period. Somalia is grappling with the fallout of three consecutive failed rainy seasons and widespread drought, which have decimated water supplies and livestock, pushing millions toward starvation.

At displaced persons camps in Puntland, Hollingworth witnessed the skeletal remains of farm animals and families stripped of all assets. Malnutrition hotspots are expanding rapidly, especially among children under five. “We can only help about one in ten of those who need it,” Hollingworth said, highlighting the brutal rationing forced by limited resources and soaring costs.

The consequences are heartbreaking. Mothers face impossible choices about which child to feed or send to school. Without urgent intervention, the crisis will deepen, fueling displacement and regional instability. Somalia’s suffering is a warning signal to the world: conflicts far from home can have deadly ripple effects on the most vulnerable.

The World Food Program calls for a cease-fire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ease the chokehold on global food supplies and prevent an even larger catastrophe. As the Iran war drags on, the human cost mounts — and Somalia is paying a devastating price.