Nearly 2 million children across Somalia are at risk of acute malnutrition, reflecting a deteriorating situation as multiple crises continue to converge, warned UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell at the end of her mission to the country.
Somalia is confronting a deepening emergency, driven by drought, conflict, displacement and severe funding cuts that place growing pressure on families and essential services.
New disruptions stemming from the escalating conflict in the Middle East are tightening pressure on global supply chains, with serious consequences for Somalia. Transporting food, medicines, fuel, and water is becoming more expensive, straining families and humanitarian partners already facing urgent needs. With Somalia's heavy reliance on imports, prices are climbing fast. In drought affected areas, water costs have more than doubled as scarcity grows and fuel for delivery becomes unaffordable.
Water scarcity continues to be one of the most severe drivers of the crisis. With rivers drying, boreholes failing, and local water sources becoming increasingly unreliable, communities are being uprooted at alarming speed. Disease outbreaks, loss of livelihoods, and rising food insecurity are tightening their grip, particularly in areas where humanitarian presence is thinning due to funding shortages.
"One of the most haunting things to see is bed after bed with malnourished children and anxious mothers just hoping that their children will survive," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell after meeting with families in Dollow. "The people are incredibly resilient but they need more support right now as all warning signs are flashing red, including the ripple effect from the war in the Middle East."
UNICEF has US$15.7 million worth of supplies in transit and in preparation for dispatch to Somalia, including nutritional treatments for malnourished children, vaccines, and insecticide-treated bednets to protect children from malaria. If the situation in the Middle East remains unresolved, these shipments risk delays or added costs.
Over the past year, more than 400 health and nutrition facilities, including more than 125 sites offering vital nutrition assistance have already closed due to insufficient financing. Without immediate support, more may be forced to shut their doors in the coming months - many located in districts experiencing the highest levels of food and nutrition insecurity. These closures would leave mothers without care during pregnancy, children without vaccinations, and severely malnourished children without lifesaving treatment.
Even before the latest economic impact, nearly 3 million children in Somalia remained in desperate need of aid. Last month, UN agencies and the government warned that worsening drought following failed rains, which has depleted livestock and crops, could push nearly 6.5 million Somalis into crisis and emergency levels of food insecurity by the end of this month. In addition, more than 1.8 million children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition by the end of the year.
While in Somalia, Russell spoke with some of the most impacted families in drought-affected Dollow in Jubaland state. There she met one mother, Habiba, who had lost her cattle and crops to drought. She walked seven days to get to Dollow to get treatment for her malnourished children.
Beyond the immediate humanitarian response, UNICEF is working with partners to scale up integrated solutions that link emergency response with longer-term investments in water systems, nutrition, social protection and resilience, helping communities better withstand recurrent climate shocks.
"For the children of Somalia, every dollar and every minute counts in getting life-saving aid to them," said Russell. "What children in Somalia - like everywhere else - need the most is peace, protection and safe access to essential services. With that, today's children can become the doctors, nurses and teachers needed to empower their communities and the country."
To meet the urgent needs of millions of children and families in Somalia, UNICEF is appealing for US$121 million in 2026. To date, less than US$20 million has been received.
