Pope Leo prays for end to humanitarian crisis in Somalia

By Devin Watkins

As he prayed the Angelus on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV recalled the humanitarian situation in Somalia.

“I am following with great concern the humanitarian crisis unfolding in parts of Somalia, where episodes of violence and extreme weather events are worsening the already precarious living conditions of the population, particularly women and children,” he said.

The Pope expressed his hopes for a “generous response from the international community, so that these brothers and sisters of ours may receive the assistance they need.”

Various United Nations agencies have drastically reduced their humanitarian aid for the African country in recent months.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said only a third of its already-reduced budget had been funded.

The UN World Food Programme has also reduced food aid, dropping from 2 million people assisted to only 600,000 in 2026.

Rainfall in 2026 has been significantly below average throughout the region, with many families moving their herds in search of water.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has called on donors to help it restore and expand primary healthcare malnutrition services in the Mudug region, where over 70 health facilities have been closed.

Somalia has endured internal conflict since the fall of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, and Islamist extremists have strengthened their control of the countryside.