Famine is preventable, but millions of people are facing extreme hunger. Learn what famine means, warnings signs to watch for, and why communities are at risk.
From Somalia to Sudan and the Gaza Strip, millions of people are experiencing extreme hunger. Famine is the most severe classification of acute food insecurity, but it is not inevitable. Early action, sufficient humanitarian funding, safe humanitarian access, and long-term support can prevent hunger crises from becoming famines.
In Somalia, nearly 5.1 million people faced crisis-level hunger or worse between July and September 2026, a 50% increase compared with the same period in 2025, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). That number is projected to rise by 300,000 people between October and December 2026.
At Oxfam, we have fought hunger since our founding. Here, we explain what famine means, how it is classified, what causes it, how famine differs from food insecurity and malnutrition, and what can be done to prevent it.
What does famine mean?
Famine is the most severe level of acute food insecurity. Visible in “widespread malnutrition” and “loss of life due to starvation and infectious disease,” famine robs people of their dignity, equality, and for some—their lives.
The IPC uses a five-phase scale to assess the severity of food crises. Phase 1 is Minimal, Phase 2 is Stressed, Phase 3 is Crisis, Phase 4 is Emergency, and Phase 5 is Catastrophe or Famine. Governments and humanitarian organizations use these classifications to understand the severity of a crisis and determine how urgently they need to act.
When is a famine officially declared?
For a famine to exist in a given area—Phase 5 of the acute food insecurity scale—three conditions, backed by evidence, must be met:
- 1 in 5 households faces an extreme food shortage.
- High levels of acute malnutrition, a nutritional deficiency that results from inadequate energy or protein intake. This can be assessed by finding that either 30% of children are too thin for their height, or 15% of children are assessed as "wasting" based on a measurement of the mid-upper arm.
- Death rates exceed two adults or four children per day for every 10,000 people.
Why is Somalia at risk of famine in 2026?
Somalia is experiencing a severe hunger crisis driven by drought, erratic rainfall, conflict and insecurity, displacement, high food prices, and declining humanitarian assistance.
Families have lost crops and livestock, while many displaced people have few remaining ways to earn an income or obtain enough food. Between October and December 2026, approximately 5.4 million people are projected to face crisis-level hunger or worse.
In Somalia’s Buurhakaba District, Sokorey once supported her family through farming and raising livestock. Years of drought killed her animals, dried out her farmland, and forced her family to leave home for a displacement camp.
“I’m a farmer and I used to have livestock. They all died due to the drought, with animals killed and farms dried out. We didn’t have any option. That’s when we came to this camp.”
The crisis is worsening as humanitarian assistance contracts. The United States, historically one of Somalia’s largest humanitarian donors, has withdrawn lifesaving aid from the country. Wider funding shortages have already forced hundreds of health and nutrition facilities to close, leaving families to travel farther and wait longer for treatment as hunger and acute malnutrition increase.
For Sokorey’s family, these numbers translate into a daily struggle to eat.
“The biggest challenge we have now is lack of food. There is no survival without it.… Now we are cooking only one meal a day, if we are lucky to get any food.”
Meanwhile, water shortages are compounding the hunger crisis. Faadumo Oumar Aadan says that reservoirs have dried up and families without money cannot obtain enough water.
“Sometimes I go to bed without water. If you don’t have money, you won’t get water.… Even when food is available, there is no water to cook it. Water is necessary for life.”
Children are particularly vulnerable: approximately 1.92 million children ages 6 months to 5 years are expected to experience acute malnutrition and need treatment between July 2026 and June 2027.
For displaced families, the losses extend beyond food and water. Drought can take away livestock, income, homes, and hopes for the future. As Jamiilo Hassan Ali explains:
“We search for something to eat, even if it is just one meal. If we do not find anything, we sleep hungry.”
What causes a famine?
Famine is rarely caused by a single event. It usually results from overlapping pressures such as conflict, forced displacement, climate-related shocks, crop failures, loss of livestock, high food prices, disease, poverty, restrictions on humanitarian access, and insufficient political or financial action.
A drought or flood can trigger a hunger crisis, but whether that crisis becomes a famine also depends on whether people can obtain food, water, health care, income, and timely humanitarian assistance.
Political scientist Alex de Waal calls famine a political scandal, a “catastrophic breakdown in government capacity or willingness to do what [is] known to be necessary to prevent famine.” When governments fail to prevent or end conflict—or help families prevent food shortages brought on by any reason—they fail their own people.
Frequently asked questions about famine
What’s the difference between famine and food insecurity?
Food insecurity means that people do not have reliable physical or economic access to enough safe and nutritious food. Famine is the most extreme form of acute food insecurity.
Food insecurity exists on a spectrum. Under the IPC scale, populations may be classified as Minimal, Stressed, in Crisis, in Emergency, or in Catastrophe or Famine. An area is classified as experiencing Famine only when specific thresholds for extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and mortality have been reached.
How is famine different from malnutrition?
Famine is an extreme food-security crisis affecting a population in a defined area. Malnutrition is a health condition that affects individuals.
In Somalia, the IPC found that disease outbreaks, poor access to water and sanitation, inadequate diets, and the loss of health and nutrition services are contributing to acute malnutrition.
What are common warning signs of an upcoming famine?
Warning signs that famine risk is increasing include rapidly worsening hunger, rising acute malnutrition, increases in illness and death, widespread livelihood losses, displacement, unusually high food prices, severe water shortages, and declining humanitarian access or assistance.
What can individuals do to help people facing famine and extreme hunger?
Individuals can donate to trusted humanitarian organizations, advocate for governments to fund emergency assistance, and call for safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
In Somalia, the IPC is calling for an urgent expansion of food, nutrition, health, livelihoods, and water and sanitation assistance, alongside preparedness and anticipatory action in areas at risk of flooding.
Can famine be stopped?
Famine can be stopped—now, and in the long term. But governments and aid groups must anticipate a worsening hunger crisis, secure the resources and political will to address the root causes of hunger, and safely deliver humanitarian aid to those most in need.
In Somalia, the Gaza Strip, Sudan, and other hunger crises, Oxfam works with communities and local organizations to reduce famine risk and help families survive, recover, and rebuild. Here are some of the ways this work helps:
- Providing clean water: Stomach ailments from dirty water rob people of good nutrition from whatever food they can find, and young children are particularly vulnerable. That’s why Oxfam helps improve and repair wells to access clean water as well as trucks in water to areas where there is none.
- Encouraging proper sanitation: Good sanitation and hygiene are essential for preventing the spread of diseases like cholera, Ebola, and COVID-19, which are especially deadly leading up to and during famines. Oxfam helps construct latrines and distributes hygiene items like soap so people can wash their hands.
- Distributing food: When food is available in markets, but might be scarce or very expensive for some, Oxfam distributes cash to help buy food. Oxfam also distributes emergency food rations when necessary.
- Planting crops: In areas where farmers can plant crops, Oxfam supplies seeds, tools, and other assistance so people can grow their own food. We also help farmers raising livestock with veterinary services, animal feed, and in some cases, we distribute animals to farmers to help restock their herds.
- Building resilience over the long-term: We help build the capacity of local organizations to respond to emergencies like famine, shifting power from international organizations to leaders rooted in local know-how. We promote the leadership of our local partners and boost their skills to reduce suffering, risks, and losses by preparing their own communities before disasters strike.
- Advocating with and for communities: Oxfam and our supporters advocate for the resolution of conflicts and push for sufficient assistance for people affected by war and famine. Our research and advocacy also advance sustainable development in ways that help reduce the risk of future food crises and disasters.