Years of drought, recurring floods, armed conflict and shrinking humanitarian assistance have forced millions of Somalis into increasingly precarious conditions, with many displaced families now struggling to survive in overcrowded camps around the capital, Mogadishu.

Among them is 38-year-old Zeynab Ibrahim, a single mother who fled her hometown near Burhakaba in central Somalia after years of failed rains devastated local agriculture and pushed her family into extreme hardship.For three years, Ibrahim watched as drought tightened its grip on her community.

Reservoirs dried up, crops failed and food became increasingly scarce. Hunger and disease spread through the area, claiming numerous lives, including four of her 10 children.“We tried every means to survive – selling dried grass and digging up water from the barren earth.

Unfortunately, there was nothing left, so we had no choice but to escape to save our children,” Ibrahim said while sitting outside a makeshift shelter in an internally displaced persons camp in Mogadishu’s Kahda district.The journey to the capital came only after all other options had been exhausted.

Assisted by a truck driver transporting other displaced families from drought-stricken areas around Burhakaba, she joined the growing number of Somalis seeking refuge in the city.“So hunger is what brought us here,” she said.Ibrahim is one of more than one million displaced people now living in informal settlements across Mogadishu, where many families continue to face severe shortages of food, clean water and basic services despite escaping the immediate effects of drought in rural areas.

Before being displaced, her family relied entirely on farming for survival. Maize, beans, sesame and vegetables grown on their land provided both food and income. As rainfall disappeared, however, agricultural production collapsed.

“Our livelihoods depended on what we could grow on the ground, including maize, beans, sesame and vegetables. But the ground dried because there was no rain,” she said.Her experience reflects a broader pattern unfolding across Somalia, where communities increasingly face overlapping climate and security pressures.

Repeated droughts destroy crops and livestock, while floods that follow periods of extreme dryness often wash away fragile infrastructure and further undermine agricultural recovery.For many households, these environmental shocks occur against a backdrop of persistent conflict and insecurity, limiting opportunities to rebuild livelihoods or safely return home.

The result has been a growing displacement crisis that has reshaped communities across the country. Families forced from rural areas frequently arrive in urban centers with few possessions and limited means of earning an income, increasing their dependence on humanitarian support at a time when aid resources are under strain.

Adan Roble, another displaced Somali, said the combined effects of environmental disasters and insecurity have left many families struggling to meet even their most basic needs.“Imagine losing everything and trying to survive without food and clean water, while fighting continues and drones keep flying overhead,” Roble said.

Roble has experienced multiple climate-related disasters. Years of drought destroyed his crops and rendered his farmland unproductive, undermining the economic foundation on which his family depended.Stories such as those of Ibrahim and Roble illustrate the mounting challenges facing Somalia as climate-related shocks become more frequent and severe.

Rural communities that depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture are often among the most vulnerable, with prolonged dry periods quickly translating into crop failures, livestock losses and widespread food insecurity.For many displaced families, arriving in Mogadishu has provided safety from immediate environmental threats but not from poverty.

Conditions in many informal settlements remain difficult, with limited access to employment opportunities, healthcare, sanitation and reliable food supplies.As climate pressures, conflict and humanitarian constraints converge, displaced households continue to face uncertain futures.

Families that once relied on farming and livestock now find themselves dependent on irregular aid and struggling to rebuild their lives far from the land that once sustained them.

For Ibrahim, the move to Mogadishu was not a choice but a last resort after years of watching her community deteriorate. Although she escaped the drought that devastated her hometown, the daily struggle against hunger and deprivation continues in the camp she now calls home.

Gunfire echoed through several districts of the Somali capital, with smoke rising over residential areas after hours of sporadic battles. Police said they were conducting a large-scale security operation against heavily armed militias accused of launching mortar attacks on parts of the city.

The violence follows a deepening political crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced an extension of his term beyond its scheduled May 15 expiry, a move rejected by opposition leaders and several regional authorities.

Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of attacking his convoy on Wednesday as he prepared to participate in demonstrations against the extension. Witnesses also reported clashes near the residence of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The unrest comes as opposition groups mobilize protests against Mohamud’s plan to advance constitutional reforms and move Somalia toward direct elections, a proposal critics say concentrates power in the presidency.

Somalia remains politically fragile, with divisions among rival clans and a continuing insurgency by Al-Shabab complicating efforts to implement nationwide electoral reforms.

The visit comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions in the Horn of Africa following Israel’s official recognition of Somaliland, a move that drew strong opposition from Mogadishu and raised concerns over the region’s stability, sovereignty, and the delicate balance of federal relations within Somalia.

During his visit, Mohamud attended the inauguration of the president of the newly created Northeast State, which became Somalia’s sixth federal state in August, encompassing the regions of Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn — all areas that Somaliland considers part of its territory.

The president’s presence in Las Anod is seen as a symbolic effort to strengthen the unity of the Somali federation and reinforce the federal government’s commitment to territorial integrity, governance, and national cohesion.

Las Anod had been under the control of Somaliland since 2007 but was forced to withdraw in 2023 after violent clashes with Somali forces and pro-Mogadishu militias left numerous casualties, highlighting the fragile security situation and complex territorial disputes in northern Somalia.

Mohamud’s visit underscores the federal government’s determination to assert authority over semi-autonomous regions while maintaining dialogue and cooperation with local administrations and communities in the northeast of the country.

The Northeast State aims to consolidate federal governance and improve administrative services, security, and economic development across its territories.

By participating in the state’s presidential inauguration, Mohamud reinforced Somalia’s federal structure and demonstrated support for democratic processes, local leadership, and the expansion of government institutions into regions affected by conflict and contested claims.

Mohamud’s visit also carries significant diplomatic implications as it comes shortly after international developments, including Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, which has been opposed by the Somali government.

The federal government seeks to maintain regional stability, manage international relations, and prevent the escalation of disputes with Somaliland, while ensuring that local communities benefit from federal support, investment, and infrastructure development.

This historic visit reflects the federal government’s broader strategy to assert national authority, promote unity among Somalia’s semi-autonomous states, and strengthen governance structures in contested areas.

It also aims to send a message to domestic and international stakeholders that Somalia remains committed to its territorial integrity, political cohesion, and the peaceful resolution of regional disputes through dialogue, legal frameworks, and inclusive governance.

On a recent visit to Africa, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said, “What my African brothers have longed for years are true friends who respect their history, culture, traditions, languages” and that Turkey “wants to be a true friend of Africa”.

Erdogan views Turkey as a second coming of the Ottomans’ global power with global reach, which is why he pursues a foreign policy agenda that emulates his view of the Neo-Ottoman Turkey.

Erdogan-led Turkish government has thus worked to increase engagement across the world.

Turkey often digs its claws in less-developed regions such as Africa and Latin America. In Africa, for example, Turkey now has 41 embassies, which were hardly 12 in 2003.

In 2017, Turkey opened its largest military base overseas in Somalia’s Mogadishu.

Turkey started joint military training exercises with Somali National Army soldiers.

The state-run Turkish Airlines now flies 52 routes from Istanbul to 33 different African countries, when it only flew to 14 in 2011.

Turkey has increased bilateral trade with Africa five-fold from 2003 to over $20 billion in 2018. Leaders within the African Union (AU) have stated that Erdogan has “won hearts and minds” through his “humanitarian assistance”, which in reality are bribes to the officials and the leaders.

Meanwhile, Turkey is pushing its version of Islamic extremism under the disguise of charities support for Muslim communities.

Africa’s 54 countries is what Erdogan views as his future areas of influence winch led to increased engagement across Africa as a way for Turkey to achieve greater goal.

Khaled Homoud Alshareef holds PhD in Business and he earned Masters in Philosophy. He often writes about Islamism, Islamist factions and modern Terrorism. He tweets under @0khalodi0.