Funding allocated to address acute malnutrition in specific regions of Somalia has plummeted by over 80% this year, as reported by Doctors Without Borders on Tuesday. Despite one in every four children screened in displacement camps in the southwest of the country being severely malnourished, aid support from the United States has been drastically reduced from $70 million last year to zero this year, creating challenges for aid organizations. Other Western donors have also scaled back their contributions.
Mitchell Sangma, a health adviser at Doctors Without Borders, expressed concern over the significant increase in nutrition cases this year, with a 22,000 admissions figure marking an 80% rise from the previous year. Sangma highlighted the dwindling donor support at a time when intervention measures need to be significantly expanded.
A survey conducted by MSF in July across 14 displacement sites in Baidoa, southwest Somalia, revealed alarming statistics: one in four children suffering from severe malnutrition and one-third of families surviving on just one meal per day. The deteriorating hunger crisis in Somalia has been exacerbated by consecutive failed rainy seasons leading to crop failures, livestock losses, and water scarcity. Ongoing conflict and insecurity have further worsened the situation, hindering access to food, healthcare, and aid.
In February, the Somali government and the United Nations reported that approximately 6.5 million people in the country were facing acute hunger due to drought conditions. Doctors Without Borders disclosed that they had screened over 21,000 children under five in Baidoa since the beginning of the year, with acute malnutrition rates hovering around 50%. Although not as severe as severe malnutrition, acute malnutrition poses life-threatening risks due to sudden weight loss.
The United Nations data indicates that over half a million individuals were displaced in Somalia within the first quarter of 2026, predominantly driven by drought-induced circumstances, with women and children accounting for 85% of the displaced population. The looming crisis has reignited concerns of a recurrence of the near-famine experienced in Somalia in 2022, yet the response is hindered by significant funding gaps.
Doctors Without Borders emphasized the stark disparity between the current available funding of about $300 million from donors for Somalia and the $2.2 billion allocated during the 2022 drought crisis. Allara Ali, the project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Somalia, stressed the urgency of immediate action to prevent loss of life, underscoring the need for preemptive measures rather than waiting for a famine declaration.
