Somalia Hunger Doubles to 6.5 Million as SNAP Cuts Hit Minnesota's Somali Community

6.5 million people in Somalia face acute hunger, nearly double from early 2025. The same day, Trump cut SNAP benefits affecting 54% of Minnesota's Somali households.

Somalia Hunger Doubles to 6.5 Million as SNAP Cuts Hit Minnesota's Somali Community 6.5 million people in Somalia face acute hunger, nearly double from early 2025. The same day, Trump cut SNAP benefits affecting 54% of Minnesota's Somali households. February 27, 2026 Key Takeaways: The UN reported on February 24 that 6.5 million people in Somalia face acute food insecurity, nearly double from early 2025. 54% of Somali-headed households in Minnesota receive SNAP benefits , the same program Trump celebrated cutting at the State of the Union. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali diaspora in the U.S., over 100,000 people, many of whom came as refugees from the same kind of crisis now accelerating in Somalia. On February 24, the United Nations reported that 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing acute food insecurity. That number nearly doubled from early 2025. CARE International reported 1.8 million children under five at risk of malnutrition. Nearly 500,000 of those cases are severe. Four consecutive seasons of failed rains have killed livestock and forced families to walk 30 kilometers for water. The same day, President Trump delivered his State of the Union and celebrated "lifting 2.4 million Americans off food stamps." The CBO confirmed those people lost eligibility from new work requirements, not improved circumstances. In the same speech, Trump accused Minnesota's Somali community of "pillaging billions" from taxpayer programs. Minnesota is home to the largest Somali diaspora in the United States, over 100,000 people. Many came as refugees from exactly the kind of crisis now unfolding again. 54% of Somali-headed households in Minnesota receive SNAP benefits. The fraud investigations in Minnesota are real and accountability matters. But the overlap is