Washington (Somalia Today) — The United States approved $14.9 million in new funding for Somalia on October 9, the State Department said. The new funds arrive even as total American assistance to the country fell sharply during the 2025 fiscal year.
Washington has long been Somalia’s most significant single humanitarian donor, and the reduction comes at a delicate moment for the Horn of Africa nation. Somalia is grappling with a persistent Islamist insurgency while repeatedly absorbing severe climate shocks.
The UN estimates that 6.9 million people in Somalia will need humanitarian assistance in 2025, following years of devastating drought that killed livestock and displaced millions, and seasonal floods that have since battered vulnerable communities.
A significant US drop
Internal State Department figures reviewed by The New York Times indicated that total US aid to Somalia was about $128 million in the 2025 fiscal year, which ended September 30.
That marks a steep fall compared with the previous decade, when US data shows Washington sent an average of roughly $450 million a year in humanitarian aid alone. US humanitarian funding for Somalia peaked at $481 million in 2020 amid an earlier hunger crisis.
In an emailed statement on Monday, the State Department said both military and humanitarian assistance continue. The US maintains a small military presence in Somalia, focused primarily on training the Somali National Army’s elite Danab brigade and on counter-terrorism operations.
“The United States remains committed to working with Somalia to counter terrorist threats and address shared security concerns,” the statement said.
The department also pointed to a policy shift toward broader burden-sharing, a stance echoed by several Western governments confronting domestic budget pressures and donor fatigue.
“The State Department will continue its mission to encourage other donors, including governments and the private sector, to come up with sustainable solutions for those most in need,” the statement added.
Somalia’s overlapping crises of conflict and climate have left large parts of the population dependent on foreign aid.
The government is waging a long-running offensive against the Al-Shabaab insurgent group, which controls much of rural southern and central Somalia. According to the World Bank, the security push consumes most of the state’s domestic revenue, leaving social services reliant on outside donors.
Europeans follow suit
The US cutbacks are not isolated. Aid officials in Somalia report a broader slide in support from other traditional partners, deepening the shortfall.
“Most of our key donors — the Dutch, the Germans, the Brits — it’s all coming down,” said Crispen Rukasha, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia.
Analysts link the global decline in humanitarian funding to shifting geopolitical pressures — including large aid packages for the war in Ukraine — and to changing priorities in European capitals.
The consequences for specific sectors could be severe. Britain, once the second-largest health donor to Somalia, is scheduled to end its dedicated health funding in March 2026, according to aid officials.
Humanitarian agencies warn that this particular cut threatens programs centered on maternal health and childhood vaccination.
Health services under strain
The pullback in international funds is straining Somalia’s fragile health system and its nascent federal budget.
Somalia’s federal government collected roughly $350 million in domestic revenue last year, according to recent World Bank estimates. Revenue has grown, but it remains far short of what is needed to provide basic services.
The vast majority of that money went to security-sector salaries and operations, as authorities prioritize the campaign against Al-Shabaab, which the government has vowed to defeat.
The result is a critical gap in social spending. Foreign donors currently finance around 60 percent of total health expenditures in Somalia. The government covers only about four percent, leaving households to pay the remaining 36 percent out of pocket.
Somalia’s Ministry of Finance and Planning did not immediately respond to emailed questions about how FY2025 aid reductions could affect the budget.
UN officials warn that the funding gaps could reverse hard-won gains in stability and development. The Somali government continues to urge international partners to sustain support as it presses its offensive against the insurgents.
