The non-governmental organization (NGO) World Vision reports that health facilities across Somalia supported by the NGO have recorded a sharp increase in the number of children admitted with severe malnutrition. In the first three months of this year, more than 3,500 children were diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) — marking a 60 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025, when just over 2,000 cases were reported.
In a statement on Monday, World Vision said this alarming surge is driven by prolonged drought conditions that continue to devastate communities nationwide. Consecutive failed rainy seasons have severely limited access to food and water, pushing millions into hunger.
Children under the age of five are the most vulnerable and many are now at risk of life-threatening complications linked to acute malnutrition.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, more than 1.84 million children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition across Somalia this year. Of those children, over 483,000 face severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and 1.35 million are estimated to suffer from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
“Somalia is once again approaching the brink of a full-scale hunger crisis with conditions having already preceded the early warning signs seen before the previous famines. We are witnessing a catastrophe unfolding before our eyes,” said Kevin Mackey, World Vision Somalia National Director.
Funding cuts to the health and nutrition sectors will further worsen the already dire situation. According to the NGO, more than 250 health facilities have closed, and the nutrition sector has received only four percent of the funding required to sustain life-saving services, which leaves millions of vulnerable children at heightened risk.
“The number of children arriving at our health facilities on the brink of starvation is deeply alarming. The few facilities still operating are overwhelmed and face an uncertain future. If these services shut down, the consequences for children and communities will be unimaginable,” Mackey added.
At a time when needs are surging, the dramatic drop in humanitarian funding is leaving aid agencies without the resources necessary to save lives.
World Vision emphasizes that inaction will have catastrophic consequences for children. Without immediate and sustained support, the crisis will worsen, silently claiming the lives of the most vulnerable.
“In the health facilities that we support, we are treating children who are too weak to cry, their bodies shutting down after days without food, mothers are being forced to walk for hours to reach the nearest health facility,” said Zerihun Merea, health and nutrition advisor for World Vision Somalia.
“If urgent funding is not secured in the coming weeks, more health facilities will close, treatment programs will collapse and thousands of children who could be saved will instead face preventable deaths.”
Humanitarian needs across the country are rapidly escalating amid a severe nutrition and food security crisis driven by drought, conflict, climate shocks, limited access, displacement, and drastic funding cuts.
In November, the Somali government declared a national drought emergency due to severe water shortages, crop and livestock losses, and large-scale displacement. These conditions are reminiscent of the 2022 emergency, when famine was narrowly averted largely due to substantial international aid.
Currently, Somalia is facing one of the most complex hunger crises in recent years amid a sharp decline in humanitarian funding. Between April and June, an estimated 5.5 million people will face crisis levels of hunger (IPC Phase 3) or worse. Among them are nearly 1.6 million women, men, and children experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 4).
New disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran and escalating conflict in the wider Middle East, particularly Lebanon, are putting additional pressure on global supply chains, which will have serious consequences for Somalia.
Transporting food, medicine, fuel, and water is growing more costly, placing further strain on families and overwhelmed aid agencies. Due to Somalia’s heavy reliance on imports, prices are climbing rapidly.
Disease outbreaks, loss of livelihoods, and rising food insecurity are taking their toll, especially in regions where humanitarian aid is dwindling due to funding shortages.
According to the United Nations, over the past year, more than 400 health and nutrition facilities, including over 125 centers providing critical nutrition assistance, have shut down due to severe funding reductions. Without immediate support, more facilities may be forced to close in the coming months, including many in districts with the highest levels of nutrition and food insecurity.
Despite the start of the Gu rains, rainfall has been light and uneven, failing to restore pastures or water sources. Water scarcity remains one of the most severe drivers of the ongoing emergency. As rivers dry up, boreholes fail, and local water sources become less reliable, communities are being displaced at an alarming rate.
Drought-driven displacement is surging
More people in Somalia are being forced to flee their homes. In the first four months of 2026 alone, more than 510,000 people were newly displaced within the country. According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), drought now accounts for three out of every four new displacements.
This surge in climate-driven displacement follows below-average rainfall during the 2025 Deyr season and poor or uneven rainy seasons earlier on, which were compounded by an unusually harsh Jilaal dry period. The Jilaal dry period is the main dry season in Somalia and typically occurs from December to mid-March.
According to IOM estimates, the number of newly displaced people is expected to rise to over 700,000 by June. Most are estimated to be forced from their homes due to drought, followed by flooding and conflict.
“Drought is already forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes, and many more could be displaced in the months ahead,” said Manuel Pereira, Chief of Mission for IOM Somalia, in a statement on Friday.
“When water disappears, crops fail and livelihoods collapse, displacement becomes a last resort. Without swift action, drought will continue to uproot communities, deepen hunger and increase vulnerability across Somalia, particularly for the most vulnerable.”
With drought expected to persist, IOM is calling for urgent and sustained support to address the growing impacts. The UN organization stresses that scaling up life-saving humanitarian assistance remains critical, alongside stronger investment in water infrastructure, drought resilience and climate-resilient livelihoods that help communities withstand future shocks.
In a report published Monday, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned that many displacement camps are facing emergency levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4), and that groups of newly displaced families are facing catastrophe levels of hunger (IPC Phase 5). Meanwhile, rising water prices make it nearly impossible for many displaced families to afford clean water.
NRC calls on donors to provide flexible funding to scale up the emergency response to acute food insecurity, with a particular focus on internal displaced persons (IDPs) in IPC Phases 4 and 5, and to enable the integrated delivery of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), food security, nutrition, and protection services.
Similar to IOM, the NGO emphasizes that emergency responses must be complemented by early investments in resilience, including livelihoods and durable solutions, to reduce repeated displacement and vulnerability to the ongoing impact of drought.