Somalia Child Hunger Crisis Worsens as Aid Cuts Deepen Drought Impact

Somalia’s child hunger crisis is worsening as severe drought and major cuts in international humanitarian aid leave millions of people struggling to access food, healthcare and other essential services.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that life-threatening malnutrition among children is rising sharply, with more than 200 health and nutrition facilities already forced to close following reductions in international funding.

According to UNICEF, the number of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition and related complications increased by 32 percent during the first six months of 2026.

The agency estimates that nearly 1.9 million children could suffer from malnutrition in Somalia this year.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said the funding cuts were having a devastating impact on vulnerable communities, as healthcare and nutrition services become increasingly difficult to access.

Elder warned that as many as 618 health facilities could be forced to shut down nationwide if funding continues to decline.

He described the situation as a critical moment for Somalia and urged the international community not to withdraw support.

The country is currently experiencing one of its most severe droughts in years.

The crisis has killed livestock, destroyed crops and wiped out the livelihoods of thousands of families.

Humanitarian organisations estimate that about 500,000 people were displaced by drought between January and April, adding to the roughly 3.3 million Somalis who were already displaced.

About one-third of Somalia’s population of approximately 19 million people is now facing severe food shortages.

The situation has been made worse by a dramatic decline in funding for emergency nutrition programmes.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said funding for treating acute malnutrition in some parts of Somalia had fallen by more than 80 percent this year, following major reductions in aid from the United States and other Western countries.

UNICEF also warned that access to clean water is becoming increasingly difficult, with water prices in some rural and pastoral communities reportedly rising to four times their previous levels.

At the same time, higher fuel and fertiliser costs are placing additional pressure on communities already struggling to survive.

Climate experts have also warned that an expected strong El Niño pattern could bring severe flooding and further worsen Somalia’s humanitarian situation.

UNICEF estimates that nearly one million children under the age of five, adolescent girls and women could lose access to vital nutrition services if the funding crisis continues.

Humanitarian agencies are therefore calling for urgent international assistance to prevent the drought, hunger and aid shortages from developing into an even more devastating humanitarian emergency.

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