Somalia child hunger crisis deepens as aid cuts force health facilities to close

Severe acute malnutrition among children is rising in Somalia as more than 200 health and nutrition facilities have been forced to shut after cuts to international aid. UNICEF said the deterioration is taking place against a backdrop of drought, displacement and widespread food shortages across the country. The agency warned that nearly 1.9 million children are projected to be malnourished this year.

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UNICEF said the number of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition and related complications rose by 32 percent in the first six months of 2026. Its spokesman, James Elder, said aid cuts were closing access to healthcare and nutrition services while also pushing water, education and protection further out of reach. Speaking to reporters in Geneva via video from Nairobi, he said as many as 618 health facilities could close nationwide under severe funding scenarios.

The warning comes as Somalia continues to face a severe drought that has killed livestock, damaged harvests and undermined livelihoods. Aid groups estimate that about 500,000 people were displaced by drought between January and April, adding to roughly 3.3 million already uprooted. UNICEF said one-third of Somalia's population of 19 million is facing severe food shortages, while nearly a million children under five, adolescent girls and women risk losing access to nutrition services.

The funding squeeze has also affected the wider humanitarian response. Doctors Without Borders said earlier this month that funding for acute malnutrition programmes in parts of Somalia had fallen by more than 80 percent this year, after the United States and several other Western countries reduced aid. UNICEF said the cuts have compounded the drought by limiting access to water, while prices in rural and pastoral areas have quadrupled.

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The agency also said fuel and fertiliser costs have risen, adding pressure on already fragile households. The situation matters beyond Somalia because it shows how quickly aid reductions can deepen an existing emergency in a country already exposed to climate shocks and displacement. Somalia has long depended on external assistance to support health, nutrition and water services, especially in areas affected by drought and conflict-related displacement.

The current crisis also raises questions about how humanitarian agencies can maintain basic services when funding falls sharply at the same time as needs increase. What remains unclear is how many of the threatened facilities will actually close and whether additional funding will be secured to prevent further deterioration. UNICEF said the outlook could worsen if severe funding scenarios materialise, but it did not give a timeline for any reversal.

The next developments to watch are whether donors restore support, whether malnutrition admissions continue to rise, and how far the drought and possible flooding linked to a strong El Nino pattern will affect the response.

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