Long journey for medical care

For three days, Halima Abdullahi Ibrahim walked with her three-year-old daughter to reach a reference hospital in Kismayo, southern Somalia, which is about 90 kilometers from her village. The child, Asho Hassan Abdi, had developed edema due to malnutrition and was admitted to a stabilization center that treats the most severe cases.

Difficult conditions for displaced families

In Jubbaland, a region in southern Somalia, over 25,000 displaced households live in extremely difficult conditions. Ali Adan Ali, the regional commissioner for refugees and internally displaced persons, said these families no longer receive humanitarian aid since 2023, due to a lack of funding for the organizations providing assistance.

High rates of child malnutrition

An analysis using the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) shows that about 1.92 million children between six months and five years old suffer from acute malnutrition or are at risk of developing it by June 2027. Around 433,000 of these children could have severe acute malnutrition, the most dangerous form of the condition.

Southern Somalia faces multiple crises

More than half of the children expected to suffer from malnutrition live in southern Somalia, where food insecurity is compounded by epidemics, limited access to health facilities, and a lack of clean water and sanitation. The risk of flooding linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon could make the situation even worse, leading to more displacement and harder access to essential services.

Call for better coordination

Sandra Lattouf, UNICEF representative in Somalia, said children continue to die from malnutrition and that diseases like measles make them more vulnerable. During a visit to Kismayo, she urged for better coordination between community health workers, local authorities, the government, and humanitarian organizations to address the crisis.

Funding shortage threatens aid

As the needs of vulnerable populations grow, the resources available to respond are shrinking. This lack of funding threatens the continuity of aid in a country where thousands of displaced families and children remain at risk of a major nutritional crisis.