Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Somalia is facing significant cuts in humanitarian aid, resulting in the closure of over 200 health and nutrition facilities, with projections suggesting closures could reach up to 618. This reduction in services has coincided with a 32% rise in children admitted to stabilization centers for severe acute malnutrition—not due to increased illness, but to reduced access to preventive and community-based nutrition support, according to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.
The loss of facilities forces families to undertake longer journeys for treatment, causing delayed care and increased risk of severe illness and preventable death among children. Nearly one million vulnerable people, including children under five, adolescent girls, and women, are at risk of losing essential nutrition services.
These funding cuts come amid rising humanitarian needs in Somalia. Approximately 1.9 million children are projected to be affected by malnutrition this year, with close to half a million experiencing severe acute forms. Years of civil war have displaced millions and worsened food insecurity, while global conflicts have increased costs for fuel and fertilizer, further complicating recovery.
In addition to drought in northern Somalia, the country faces further risks from extreme flooding linked to an intensified El Niño weather pattern. UNICEF notes the contradiction of reduced resources as pressures on children’s survival and health grow.
Despite these challenges, the UN continues efforts such as distributing cholera vaccinations to over a million people and supporting education programs, aiming to lessen the crisis amid funding limitations.