Red Cross Warns: Conflict, Drought Displacing Thousands in Puntland

Somalia, 31 January 2026 The ongoing conflict in Puntland's Almiskad Mountain Range and the worsening drought has forced tens of thousands of families to flee their homes, leaving them without food, water and shelter; according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

In an interview with Dawan Media, the ICRC Communication Officer in Garowe, Abdirahman Abdullahi, said the Almiskad conflict has become the primary driver of displacement in Bari region, with drought now compounding an already severe humanitarian crisis.

“Many people who had never been displaced before, and who had little experience with armed conflict, are now being forced to flee their homes and enter a life they have never known,” he said.

According to Abdullahi, humanitarian data shows that in 2025 conflict remained the leading cause of internal displacement, while the drought declared in November significantly increased people’s vulnerability. The rapid rise in water prices – reaching as high as five dollars per barrel in some areas – has become one of the most severe challenges facing displaced families.

Bari region, which is largely mountainous, presents major difficulties in accessing water and reaching remote villages. This has further worsened conditions for people displaced from Almiskad who are now living in Bosaso, Armo, and more than 30 rural settlements.

“Bari is a mountainous region, and when drought strikes, access to water becomes the most critical challenge, with prices rising very quickly,” Abdullahi noted.

An ICRC report on the humanitarian situation in Puntland highlights deeply distressing stories, including that of a 70-year-old woman who was displaced for the first time in her life after leaving behind a stone house, farmland, and water reservoirs that had sustained her family. Today, she lives in a remote area where access to water, healthcare, and livelihoods is extremely limited.

The ICRC, which has been operating in Somalia since the 1970s, intensified its activities in Bari region over the past year, focusing on:

• Health: Support to Puntland’s Ministry of Health, including surgical kits for 485 patients and the construction of a maternal and child health center in Iskushuban, which served more than 7,000 people last year.