UNICEF: Somalia's Child Crisis Deepens as 205 Health Facilities Close

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: UNICEF

22 Aug 2026 13:51

UNICEF warns Somalia's child crisis is worsening as aid cuts close 205 health and nutrition facilities and drive a 32% rise in severe malnutrition admissions.

At least 205 health and nutrition facilities have closed in Somalia amid unprecedented cuts to humanitarian aid, leaving children increasingly vulnerable to severe malnutrition, preventable illness, and other risks, UNICEF reported.

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said the closures had already contributed to a sharp deterioration in access to essential services, with the number of children admitted to stabilization centers for severe acute malnutrition and related complications rising by 32% during the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

"On the back of unprecedented cuts in humanitarian aid, 205 health and nutrition facilities have already closed. The impact on children has been immediate," Elder said during a press briefing in Geneva.

He warned that reduced access to community-based services was forcing mothers and children to travel farther for treatment, increasing the likelihood that severely malnourished children would reach specialized facilities only after their conditions had worsened.

Overlapping humanitarian crises

The aid reductions come as Somalia confronts worsening drought, conflict, displacement, and rising costs for fuel and fertilizer, while a strong El Niño is expected to intensify the country's humanitarian challenges through severe flooding in the coming months.

Elder said the cuts had come at a time when the pressures affecting children were increasing rather than easing.

"This is the wrong moment to retreat," he said, warning of a "brutal contradiction" in which resources for protecting vulnerable children are being reduced as humanitarian needs grow.

He described meeting malnourished children at stabilization centers who had arrived severely ill after community facilities closed. He also recounted the case of Hajio, a mother who lost her cattle and livelihood to drought before fleeing to Burhakaba in southwest Somalia in search of assistance.

According to Elder, Hajio now lives in a makeshift shelter made of plastic and sticks and received clothes and tomatoes from a nearby community but no assistance from the international community.

Nearly one million at risk of losing nutrition services

UNICEF said funding cuts have already contributed to a 30% reduction in health and nutrition service coverage. Under severe funding scenarios, as many as 618 health facilities could eventually close across Somalia.

Nearly one million children under five, adolescent girls and women are also at risk of losing access to nutrition services, according to the agency.

Elder said the 32% increase in admissions to stabilization centres does not necessarily mean more children are becoming malnourished. Instead, he attributed the rise to the loss of preventive and community-based services that would normally identify and treat vulnerable children earlier.

This year, nearly 1.9 million children in Somalia are projected to be affected by malnutrition, including almost half a million suffering from severe acute malnutrition, UNICEF said.

At the same time, funding for the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which provides air connectivity for UNICEF's humanitarian operations and life-saving cargo, fell by 40% between 2025 and 2026.

Elder highlighted previous results achieved through humanitarian programs, noting that UNICEF supported more than 2.25 million admissions of children with severe acute malnutrition between 2021 and 2025. In 2025, the cure rate reached 97.6%.

Water and education services also under pressure

The funding crisis is also affecting access to clean water. More than 1.6 million people require access to safe water, while more than 800,000 are at risk of losing essential hygiene supplies.

The cost of water in rural and pastoral areas has quadrupled, with a 200-liter barrel rising from around $2 to $8.

Despite the shortages, UNICEF said it has reached more than one million people through emergency and sustainable water services, but warned that those gains are at risk without continued funding.

Education services are also being affected. The sector lost $30 million in funding in 2025, while major donors are expected to reduce contributions by more than half in 2026.

More than 78,000 students have already dropped out of school, with another 660,000 children at risk of leaving education, according to UNICEF.

The agency said its support during the 2022 drought helped more than 130,000 children remain in education.

Child protection services face closures

Funding reductions are also threatening child protection programs in a country that has one of the highest reported rates of violations against children.

At least 65 child protection service points and facilities have closed, while case management, psychological support, family tracing and reintegration programs are also under threat.

Elder highlighted the case of Abdullah, a teenager who was recruited by a non-state armed group after being offered work and training as a mechanic. The group instead sent him to the battlefield, where he was eventually wounded and captured by government forces.

UNICEF supported the training of more than 160 children formerly associated with armed groups in late 2024 and early 2025. Participants received vocational training and starter kits intended to help them establish businesses or find employment.

Elder warned that funding cuts could deprive children such as Abdullah of similar support, reducing their chances of building stable lives and increasing the risk of re-recruitment.

UNICEF warns against retreating from Somalia

UNICEF said the current funding crisis threatens programs that have demonstrated their ability to protect children and reduce humanitarian suffering.

"We have the programmes. We have the partners. What is missing is the funding," Elder said.

He called on the international community to maintain support for Somalia as its humanitarian needs expand, arguing that aid cuts could ultimately carry greater financial, security, and humanitarian costs.

"Protecting children is not a discretionary expense. Preventing suffering is not an inefficiency," Elder said. "And dismantling effective aid at the moment of greatest need is not a saving: it is a decision to pay more later, in money, in security, in lost development and, for some children, in lives."