MOGADISHU, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's food and nutrition crisis is deteriorating faster than anticipated due to failed rains, funding cuts, and spillover effects from the conflict in the Middle East, the World Food Program (WFP) warned on Sunday.

In its latest update on the food security situation, the WFP warned that emergency-level hunger (IPC Phase 4) now affects two million people, a sharp twofold increase from last year's figure, indicating a significant deterioration in food insecurity.

It warned that current humanitarian food assistance reaches only 450,000 people, leaving a staggering 76 percent of those in IPC Phase 4 without support through August.

"This gap will have severe consequences for the most vulnerable populations. Urgent funding is needed to scale up assistance and prevent further deterioration," the UN agency said.

According to the WFP, Somalia remains trapped in one of the world's most severe malnutrition crises, with 1.9 million children suffering from acute malnutrition.

It said reduced humanitarian services are increasing life-threatening risks, and the latest IPC analysis warns of a risk of famine in Southwest State's Burhakaba district, where nearly 40 percent of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition or worse.

The organization said the onset of the Hagaa dry season, marked by poor rainfall across central Somalia and parts of Puntland, is threatening a population whose recovery from previous droughts remains extremely fragile.

According to the WFP, compounding these climate shocks are severe macroeconomic pressures linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

A recent WFP study highlights how regional instability has triggered spillover effects, including higher energy prices, supply chain disruptions, and trade constraints, driving up the cost of fuel, transport, and food.

For an import-dependent country like Somalia, the WFP said these inflated costs have severely undermined household purchasing power. Nearly 60 percent of households are now unable to meet their basic needs, up from 47 percent in 2025, leaving up to 2.5 million additional people at risk of being priced out of a basic food basket.

"Urgent, flexible funding is required to sustain assistance, stabilize at-risk populations, and prevent further deterioration in food security and malnutrition," it said. ■