Mogadishu, Somalia (Running Africa) — Somalia is facing a rapidly worsening child malnutrition crisis, with funding for emergency nutrition programs falling by more than 80% as drought, displacement, and food insecurity push growing numbers of children into severe hunger, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
The medical humanitarian organization says it has treated approximately 22,000 malnutrition cases so far this year — an increase of more than 80% compared with the same period last year — even as international funding for Somalia’s humanitarian response declines sharply.
Aid agencies are warning that without urgent intervention, deteriorating conditions could push vulnerable communities closer to the famine-like conditions Somalia experienced in 2022.
Child Malnutrition Cases Rise as Humanitarian Funding Falls
The surge in malnutrition comes as humanitarian organizations struggle with major funding shortages.
According to MSF, the United States, which contributed approximately $70 million to Somalia’s humanitarian response in 2025, has provided no funding this year.
The reduction in international support has placed additional pressure on emergency nutrition programs at a time when demand for treatment is increasing.
For humanitarian organizations operating across Somalia, the combination of shrinking resources and rising needs has raised concerns that some vulnerable children may be unable to access lifesaving nutritional care.
One in Four Children Severely Malnourished in Baidoa Survey
The situation is particularly alarming in Baidoa, one of the areas hardest hit by drought and displacement.
Thousands of families have arrived in displacement camps around the city after losing access to food, water, and livelihoods in their home communities.
An MSF survey found that one in four children assessed was severely malnourished, highlighting the scale of the emergency.
The organization also found that just 2% of households could afford three meals a day, illustrating the severe economic pressures facing families already displaced by drought.
Drought Displaces More Than 500,000 People
Somalia’s prolonged drought is also driving another major wave of internal displacement.
According to the United Nations, more than 500,000 people were displaced across Somalia during the first three months of 2026, with drought responsible for the majority of those movements.
Families dependent on farming and livestock have been particularly vulnerable as water shortages and deteriorating agricultural conditions undermine food production and household incomes.
Many displaced families are arriving in camps with limited access to clean water, healthcare, sanitation, and adequate food, increasing the risk of malnutrition and disease, particularly among young children.
Aid Agencies Warn of Renewed Famine Risk
Somalia has experienced repeated hunger emergencies driven by a combination of climate shocks, conflict, poverty, and displacement.
In 2022, the country came dangerously close to a formal famine declaration as severe drought devastated communities and left millions facing acute food insecurity.
Humanitarian agencies fear similar conditions could return if emergency assistance continues to decline while malnutrition and displacement increase.
The growing crisis underscores the vulnerability of Somalia’s humanitarian response to international funding cuts, particularly as climate-related disasters place additional strain on communities.
With tens of thousands of children already requiring treatment and hundreds of thousands of people displaced, aid organizations say urgent funding will be critical to preventing Somalia’s worsening hunger crisis from escalating into another catastrophic emergency.
