The UN warned on Friday that global declines in humanitarian funding have forced the closure of aid programs and facilities in Somalia and are having increasingly serious consequences for Somali children.
According to UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesman James Elder, Cuts in aid The doors to health care are closed and people, including children, have no access to water or education. The UN reported that the unprecedented cuts in humanitarian aid have led to the closure of over 200 health and nutrition facilities in Somalia, resulting in a 32 percent increase in Somali children admitted to stabilization centers with severe acute illnesses malnutrition. The UN stressed that the reason for this increase is not because more children are becoming sick, but rather because of a loss of access to preventive and community-based nutrition services.
In addition, the United Nations emphasized that these funding cuts come at a critical time for Somalia, where humanitarian needs continue to escalate due to the ongoing armed conflict and impacts The NiNO. UN forecasts indicate that nearly 1.9 million children in Somalia will be affected by malnutrition, with almost half a million expected to suffer from the severe acute form amid ongoing armed conflict, displacement and extreme food insecurity in the region.
On the other hand, Somalia is also suffering from severe droughts in the north while preparing for extreme flooding caused by El Niño weather, which will further hamper agriculture and food access.
Nevertheless, the United Nations stressed that its aid programs can only improve the humanitarian situation in Somalia if sufficient resources are available, stressing that the organization cannot sustain its humanitarian assistance under the current financial constraints.
In July 2026, five UN agencies reported that Africa had the highest hunger rate in the world, in contrast to other continents where hunger and malnutrition rates had been steadily declining. They also pointed out that political instability and climate change are the drivers of the ongoing hunger crisis in Africa, including Somalia. In February, the United Nations warned that hunger was increasing in Somalia and millions of children’s lives were at risk due to malnutrition.
In addition, Somalia experienced severe droughts from 2020 to 2023 and is considered one of the countries with the most droughts vulnerable Countries are contributing to climate change in the world, with forecasts suggesting there will be more extreme weather events in the future. These conditions not only exacerbate the hunger crisis, but also impact the conflict between the armed forces and the United States Insurgent armed group Al-Shabaabas the latter exploits the harsh humanitarian conditions and water shortages to gain control over the territory and the population.
