Somalia Faces Rising Rift Valley Fever Risk, Threatening Livestock Livelihoods

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia faces a growing risk of Rift Valley fever that could threaten livestock-dependent livelihoods, after the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the regional bloc IGAD identified the country among six facing the highest assessed risk of the disease.

The warning, issued on October 30, comes as El Niño-related rainfall creates favourable conditions for the spread of the mosquito-borne virus across Eastern Africa.

FAO's October assessment identified newly suitable areas for transmission in southern Somalia and forecast a further expansion of favourable conditions across the region through January 2027.

The assessment does not confirm an outbreak in Somalia. Instead, it signals an increased risk that authorities must prepare for before infections emerge or spread.

The threat carries economic implications for communities that depend on livestock for their livelihoods. Rift Valley fever can cause severe illness in animals and humans, while livestock deaths and pregnancy losses can inflict significant financial damage on affected households.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease can cause serious illness in livestock, threatening the animals on which many rural livelihoods depend.

For livestock owners, the potential losses extend beyond animals that die from infection. Pregnancy losses can also undermine the productive capacity of affected herds, increasing the economic burden of the disease.

Heavy rainfall is a central factor behind the latest warning.

Wet conditions can expand mosquito breeding grounds, increasing the potential for transmission. Movements of livestock can also contribute to the spread of infection, making surveillance and coordination between neighbouring countries important.

The FAO assessment indicates that environmental conditions suitable for transmission have emerged in additional areas of southern Somalia.

It also forecasts that conditions favourable to the disease could expand across Eastern Africa through January 2027, extending the period during which authorities may need to maintain heightened surveillance.

The warning places Somalia within a broader regional risk picture rather than identifying a confirmed national outbreak.