"We do not wait helplessly": How communities in Somalia are coping a "double shock" drought

This bulletin examines how communities in Somalia are coping with the current drought that began in December 2025 and is expected to have impacts through the second half of 2026. Ground Truth Solutions (GTS) and Action for Social and Economic Progress (ASEP) spoke with 60 people in six villages in Jowhar and Baidoa districts using participatory methods that encouraged people to reflect on their experiences of the drought and map key actors and community initiatives influencing current outcomes.

The bulletin finds that the drought has been a “double shock” because failed Deyr rains coincided with dry conditions in riverine areas and a sharp reduction in humanitarian assistance. Communities report that traditional coping strategies are failing, trust in official early warning systems has weakened, and basic services have collapsed in some areas. Despite these challenges, communities are implementing their own drought responses and collective initiatives but are often constrained by lack of finances.