Mogadishu — Somali officials on Monday held an emergency meeting to address a deepening drought affecting large parts of the country, warning that the crisis has reached a critical stage for both people and livestock.

The meeting was chaired by Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, head of the National Emergency Relief Finance Committee and Somalia's Minister of Education, Culture and Higher Education, and brought together senior federal officials, disaster management authorities, religious leaders and business figures.

Participants included State Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Hirsi Jama Gani, the head of the National Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) Mahmoud Moallim Abdulle, and senior officials from the presidency, according to a statement from the government.

Officials reviewed the latest assessments of the drought, which they said has severely disrupted livelihoods, particularly in rural areas, with worsening shortages of water, food and pasture threatening both human life and livestock.

"The situation has reached a dangerous phase," SoDMA chief Abdulle told the meeting, warning that lives and animals were at serious risk. He urged Somalis at home and abroad to contribute to emergency relief efforts, including financial donations and life-saving aid.

Participants stressed the urgent need to accelerate a coordinated national response, calling for stronger cooperation between government institutions, religious leaders and the business community to mitigate the impact of the drought and protect vulnerable communities.

Abdulkadir reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to prioritising drought relief, saying authorities would continue to mobilise national and international support to reduce the impact of recurring natural disasters in the Horn of Africa nation.