Funding allocated to address acute malnutrition in certain 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 Somalia being severely malnourished, financial support from the United States and other Western donors has significantly decreased.
Mitchell Sangma, a health adviser at Doctors Without Borders, highlighted the reduction in aid, noting a decrease from $70 million US last year to no funding this year from the United States. This reduction in support has left aid organizations struggling to meet the escalating needs as malnutrition cases have surged by more than 80% compared to the previous year.
A recent survey conducted by MSF in Baidoa, southwest Somalia, revealed alarming statistics, with one in four children identified as severely malnourished. Additionally, the survey found that one-third of families were surviving on just one meal a day, while a mere two percent could afford three meals.
The crisis in Somalia has worsened due to consecutive failed rainy seasons, resulting in crop failure, livestock losses, and water scarcity. Conflict and insecurity have further exacerbated the situation, disrupting livelihoods and impeding access to essential resources such as food, healthcare, and aid.
In February, the Somali government and the United Nations warned that approximately 6.5 million people in the country were grappling with acute hunger due to drought conditions. Doctors Without Borders reported screening over 21,000 children under five in Baidoa since the beginning of the year, revealing acute malnutrition rates of around 50%.
The United Nations disclosed that over half a million individuals were displaced in Somalia in the first quarter of 2026, primarily driven by drought. Women and children constituted approximately 85% of the displaced population.
The current crisis has reignited concerns of a recurrence of Somalia’s near-famine in 2022, with aid agencies citing severe funding shortages as a major constraint to their response efforts. Doctors Without Borders emphasized the urgent need for action, underscoring that there is only about $300 million US available for Somalia from donors, significantly lower than the $2.2 billion provided during the 2022 drought crisis.
Allara Ali, the project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Somalia, stressed the importance of immediate intervention to prevent loss of life, emphasizing that waiting for a famine declaration is not an option.