MOGADISHU, Nov. 4 -- A convergence of extreme climate-induced weather events, rising food prices, conflicts, and inadequate funding for humanitarian aid have pushed Somalia toward a humanitarian disaster, a global charity warned on Monday.

CARE International said the crises could erode progress on gender equality for women and girls in Somalia where millions of people are on the brink of starvation as hunger looms across the country.

"Women, the heart of their communities, are struggling to feed their families. Girls risk being pulled out of school to help at home or forced into early marriage," Ummy Dubow, country director for CARE Somalia, said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Dubow said the worsening hunger crisis in Somalia will have devastating consequences for women and girls, who are often the first to suffer in times of extreme hardship. She warned that many of the gains made in empowering women, improving maternal health, and increasing girls' access to education are at risk of being undone.

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report cautions that 4.4 million people could face acute food insecurity by the end of the year if no action is taken.

The report also estimated that about 1.6 million children under the age of five are at high risk of acute malnutrition between August 2024 and July 2025, while 403,000 are facing severe acute malnutrition.

The charity noted that limited funding is severely hampering the ability of humanitarian agencies to provide life-saving interventions, including food, clean water, health services, and nutrition to affected communities.

"Every day, we witness the struggle that families, especially mothers and children who come to our health centers seeking care and support, are experiencing due to the dry spell," said Ali Nur, director at Gargaar Relief and Development Organization, a CARE partner.

Somalia faces the prospect of another challenging rainy season, with forecasts of below-average rainfall through to March 2025 and above-normal temperatures, according to the United Nations.

  - Xinhua