The United Nations is warning half of Somalia’s population — some 8.3 million people — will need humanitarian assistance this year amid Somalia’s worst drought in decades. Speaking from Mogadishu Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said nations must now act to prevent a catastrophe.

Secretary-General António Guterres: “A devastating drought has already resulted in the tragic loss of 43,000 lives in 2022 alone. It has led to the displacement of 1.4 million Somalis, with women and children making up 80%. And rising food prices are naturally aggravating hunger and malnutrition. Poor and vulnerable communities are pushed by the drought to the brink of starvation. And the situation can get worse.”