Somalia is facing a worsening child malnutrition emergency as global aid cuts force the closure of dozens of life-saving nutrition centers across the country.
Humanitarian organizations warn that at least 55,000 children are now at risk of severe acute malnutrition, with many already showing signs of life-threatening hunger.
Aid Cuts Threaten Lifesaving Nutrition Services
According to Save the Children, one of the largest NGOs operating in Somalia, 27% of its health and nutrition facilities will shut down by June 2025 due to funding shortfalls.
These closures will leave tens of thousands of vulnerable children without access to:
- Emergency therapeutic food
- Medical treatment for malnutrition-related illnesses
- Routine health screenings and vaccinations
“It’s frightening to imagine what the impact of these aid cuts will be on Somalia just a few months down the road,” said Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, Save the Children’s Country Director for Somalia.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
- 1.8 million children in Somalia are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025
- 479,000 children are projected to face severe acute malnutrition, which can be fatal if untreated
- 11% more children are expected to be severely malnourished compared to 2024
Drought, Conflict, and Displacement Worsen the Emergency
The crisis is being fueled by a deadly combination of:
- Prolonged droughts and below-average rainfall
- Armed conflict and displacement, especially in southern regions like Baidoa
- Underfunded humanitarian response, even before the latest aid cuts
In Baidoa alone, home to nearly 800,000 internally displaced people, all Save the Children-supported nutrition centers are expected to close by the end of the rainy season.
A Mother’s Story: “We Would Have No Other Option but to Watch Our Children Die”
Fatima, a 25-year-old mother living in a displacement camp in Baidoa, shared her story:
“If we were not able to get medicines and nutrition support here, we would have no other option but to see our children dying in front of us.”
Her one-year-old daughter, Fardowso, was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition and is now recovering thanks to emergency treatment—treatment that may soon disappear.
Urgent Call for Global Support
Humanitarian groups are urging international donors to restore and increase funding to prevent a full-scale famine.
Without immediate intervention, thousands of Somali children could face irreversible harm—or death.
Read also: 4th UN Conference on Financing for Development Welcomes Somalia
