Somalia: Child malnutrition worsens after cuts in international aid

UNICEF warns of a 32% increase in admissions of children with severe acute malnutrition in Somalia in the first half of 2026, while more than 200 health centers have closed due to lack of funding.

The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is taking an alarming turn. In the first six months of 2026, the number of children hospitalized for severe acute malnutrition with complications jumped by 32% compared to the same period the previous year, according to UNICEF. Nearly 1,9 million children are expected to be malnourished throughout the year.

More than 200 health and nutrition facilities have already closed following cuts in international aid. In a scenario of maximum funding reduction, 618 facilities could cease operations nationwide, warned James Elder, a UNICEF spokesperson, speaking from Nairobi via video link to journalists gathered in Geneva. "This is the wrong time to withdraw," he said.

The country is experiencing a severe drought that has decimated livestock, destroyed crops, and deprived hundreds of thousands of families of their livelihoods. Between January and April, approximately 500,000 people were displaced by the drought, adding to the roughly 3,3 million Somalis already displaced within the country. In total, a third of the population, estimated at 19 million, is facing severe food shortages.

Funding to treat acute malnutrition in some regions has fallen by more than 80% this year, according to Doctors Without Borders, which points to the responsibility of the United States and several Western countries that have drastically reduced their aid. Somalia has also been excluded from the US pledge of $2 billion in global humanitarian aid for 2026, due to allegations of embezzlement and corruption.

This contraction of resources is exacerbating the effects of the drought on access to water, the price of which has quadrupled in rural and pastoral areas. The rising costs of fuel and fertilizers, linked to the US-Israeli war against Iran, are also weighing on the situation. Furthermore, a record-breaking El Niño event is anticipated, with severe flooding that threatens to further worsen humanitarian conditions. Nearly one million children under five, adolescent girls, and women could lose all access to nutrition services.