UNICEF WARNS OF MALNUTRITION SPIKE AS AID CUTS CLOSE SOMALI HEALTH FACILITIES

The United Nations has warned of a sharp rise in severe acute malnutrition among children in Somalia following cuts to international aid. UNICEF reported a 32 per cent increase in children admitted to facilities with severe acute malnutrition and complications during the first six months of 2026. More than 200 health and nutrition facilities have been forced to close as funding has declined, and UNICEF projected that nearly 1.9 million children will face malnutrition this year.

Funding for addressing acute malnutrition in parts of Somalia has dropped by more than 80 per cent in 2026, according to Doctors Without Borders. The United States and several other Western countries have reduced aid contributions, and Somalia was excluded from a $2bn global humanitarian aid pledge announced by the US, citing allegations of aid diversion and corruption. As many as 618 health facilities could close nationwide under severe funding scenarios, UNICEF spokesman James Elder said. Somalia currently faces a severe drought that has killed livestock, destroyed harvests and displaced approximately 500,000 people between January and April, adding to roughly 3.3 million Somalis already displaced.

One-third of Somalia's population of 19 million people is facing severe food shortages, according to official estimates. UNICEF described the aid cuts as occurring at the wrong moment, given the humanitarian pressures facing the country. The closures are restricting access to healthcare, nutrition services, water supplies, education and protection services across the nation.