Nearly 2 million children in Somalia are now at risk of acute malnutrition, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell has warned after a mission to the country. The situation is worsening as drought, conflict, displacement, and deep funding cuts put mounting pressure on families and vital services. In drought‑affected areas, failing water sources and rising fuel costs are forcing people to move and pushing survival further out of reach.
The escalating conflict in the Middle East is adding to the strain, tightening global supply chains and making it more expensive to transport food, medicines, fuel, and water into Somalia. With the country heavily dependent on imports, prices are climbing fast. In some regions, water costs have more than doubled, leaving families unable to afford basic supplies. Russell described visiting a facility in Dollow where “bed after bed” held malnourished children and mothers anxiously waiting for treatment.
UNICEF has 15.7 million dollars’ worth of supplies in transit or being prepared for Somalia, including nutrition treatments, vaccines, and insecticide‑treated bednets, but delays or higher shipping costs could slow deliveries. Over the past year, more than 400 health and nutrition facilities have closed because of insufficient funding, including over 125 sites providing critical nutrition services. Without urgent support, more may shut just as food and nutrition needs are peaking, leaving pregnant women and malnourished children without care.
Even before the latest economic shocks, nearly 3 million Somali children urgently needed aid. UN agencies and the Somali government recently warned that worsening drought after failed rains could push nearly 6.5 million Somalis into crisis or emergency food insecurity by the end of March, with more than 1.8 million children under five at risk of acute malnutrition by year‑end. Russell met mothers who walked for days, like Habiba in Dollow, to reach treatment after losing their livestock and crops.
UNICEF is calling for 121 million dollars in 2026 to meet the needs of children and families in Somalia; less than 20 million has been received so far. Russell stressed that every dollar and every minute counts, and urged donors to step up so that children in Somalia can survive, stay protected, and eventually rebuild their communities.
